Six Weeks
by Serenity Angel14
Summary: Six Weeks. Six weeks can be an eternity if you're waiting for that one thing you want most. That one person you want most. Well, Serena wants Darien. Wants him bad. Darien wants Serena, but they have to wait six more weeks. Serena is determined to have Darien, but she doesn't want to wait six more weeks. Just how much can Darien take before he breaks?
1. Prologue

Story Notes:

 **This one is going to be fun, but it's also going to be oh-so hot.**

Author's Chapter Notes:

 **I am challenging myself with this one. The challenge? To make it short and sweet. If you have read any of the other fics, you know I like my fics long and somewhat dark.**

 **But Six Weeks is - hopefully - going to be six chapters long with a Prologue and a Epilogue, and it's going to be fun and really really hot.**

 **So if you're on the young side you might want to skip this one.**

* * *

 **Six Weeks**

 **Prologue**

* * *

"Baby!"

"Jerk!"

"Immature Brat!"

"Butt-head!"

" _Meatball Head!"_

 _"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT?!"_

 _"OW!_ Will you watch the decibels, you Meatball Head! You'll set off every dog in the neighbourhood!"

"THEN DON'T CALL ME MEATBALL HEAD!"

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" The sound was one of sheer raw frustration. "STOP SCREAMING AT ME LIKE A BANCHEE! YOU'LL SEND ME DEAF!"

"WELL, YOU STOP SCREAMING AT ME!"

"WHAT DID I JUST TELL YOU, MEATBALL HEAD!"

 _"_ _DON'T CALL ME MEATBALL HEAD!_ _"_

Everyone inside the Crown Arcade winced in pain, many quickly covering their ears with their hands in a desperate attempt to escape the too loud too high pitched sound that was assaulting their ears.

Some even checked the windows for signs of cracking beneath the auditory barrage.

"OW! Great going, Meatball Head. Now I'm deaf. You're giving me permanent hearing damage, meatball brains!"

Mina shook her head in disbelief at the ridiculous, yet all-too familiar, scene in front of the customers and staff of the Crown Arcade.

Serena and Darien were at it again, although they were being particularly vocal today. As always, when the two argued and tormented each other they became oblivious to their audience, including their friends, all of which were standing in a line – unintentionally – at a safe distance watching the two with all-too-familiar exasperated disbelief. The four girls, Serena's best friends, Amy, Lita, Rei and Mina, and Darien's best – and only real – friend Andrew, manager of the Crown Arcade.

Andrew was the son of the owners of the Arcade that would one day be his. This was the only reason – unspoken but everyone knew it – that the two hadn't been banned from the arcade.

That, and that the two always paid for damages. And by "the two", it of course meant Darien. Serena was still in high school, still getting an allowance, she didn't have the money to pay for the damages even though it was usually _Serena_ who was most directly responsible for the majority of the damage.

Whereas Darien Shields had MONEY, from where out of the five of them only Andrew knew.

When Serena got _really_ angry, she had a habit of throwing things at the upperclassman, mainly whatever happened to be in her hand, or the most convenient at the time. Most of the time, it was a glass or a plate. Sometimes sugar containers and cutlery.

Darien had worn one of Serena's milkshakes more times than any of them could count.

Although Darien wasn't completely innocent. He knew just what buttons to push to make Serena so furious that she saw only red. He pushed her to her limits and then kept pushing. And taunting. And teasing.

Mostly about her bad grades and her hairstyle. Like Mina, Serena had long blonde hair – Mina had pale blonde like Andrew's, while Serena had more of a rich golden shade. It was like _really long_. Longer than Mina's. Mina's hair touched the back of her thighs, while Serena's, when down, brushed the backs of her knees.

Mina turned to Andrew who was standing beside her. He was watching the two with an amused expression on his face and the patience of a saint.

"How long do you think we should let this go on?" Mina asked him in a hushed voice.

"How long has it been so far?" Andrew asked, not taking his eyes off the quarrelling pair as they continued to scream and insult each other. Mina suspected that he was on the lookout for signs that Serena was going to start throwing things at the upperclassman.

If Andrew moved fast enough _sometimes_ he could rescue whatever Serena had in her hand or picked up to throw at Darien.

"About three years." Mina muttered dryly, then glanced down at her watch, " _Today_ for about half an hour now."

Andrew sighed deeply, shaking his head. "When will they grow up and realise how bad they have it?"

Mina shrugged. It wasn't the first time she'd heard that question in its various forms. She'd said it aloud a couple of times herself – although rarely to Serena. Serena always turned deep purple and then preceded to ask – rather loudly and _very_ shrilly – if she'd lost her mind.

Everyone knew that the two secretly liked each other, but they hid it beneath daily insults and loud childish arguments that usually didn't end until one of them stalked madly away. The two were in denial big time, and despite the five of them meddling numerous times to try to get one or both of them to admit their true feelings for each other, the two continued to conceal their true feelings beneath a false obviously-forced dislike for each other.

The only people the two of them seemed to be fooling was themselves and each other.

The five of them suspected that what kept Darien from admitting that he liked Serena was her age. She was fifteen, while the drop-dead gorgeous upperclassman had just turned nineteen. A relationship between the two of them would be more than frowned upon. Until Serena turned sixteen, any relationship between them would be _illegal_.

Serena's reasons for keeping her feelings hidden were more complicated. In fact, Mina wasn't particularly sure which of the list of reasons Serena considered to be the main one. Serena's younger age and inexperience maybe? Or Darien's good looks and sharp intellect? Her parents – by which meant Serena's murderously overprotective father who didn't even like the _idea_ of his sweet little innocent girl, the apple of his eye, dating.

Darien was the most handsome guy Mina had ever seen outside of a magazine. His hair was as black as a ravens wing, his eyes as blue as the deepest dark blue sapphire, his skin a rich tan without being dark and he was tall, taller than Andrew by at good couple of inches at least. He had to be six feet easy, maybe six two, six three? He had long runner's legs and thanks to that time Mina had walked in on Darien changing his shirt in Andrew's office after Serena had dumped her strawberry milkshake over his head – she'd had to stand on a chair to do so – Mina knew that there was a _fine_ hard well-defined chest beneath that horrible green jacket he seemed to like – he wore it nearly every day. He had muscle without being muscle-bound.

Yet strangely, although Mina found Darien good-looking, he wasn't her type. She preferred blonde green-eyed arcade mangers who were as kind and compassionate as he was gorgeous.

Even stranger was that as hot as Darien was, Serena wasn't intimidated by him, at least not that she ever showed. Since the first time they'd met, Serena hadn't hesitated to go head to head with him. She gave as good as she got, sometimes more.

Serena didn't know it, hadn't yet realised it, but she was strong. She was stubborn and had an inner strength that only seemed to show itself when it was needed, unlike Lita and Rei who wore their inner woman's strength proudly for all to see.

Serena also didn't realise that she was beautiful. With her impossibly long golden hair, eyes as blue as the calm ocean beneath the summer sun, trim figure and long legs, she was gorgeous.

But that wasn't all there was to Serena's outer beauty. She had this look about her that said that she hadn't reached her full physical maturity yet, but when she did she was going to turn heads and make guys walk into telephone poles.

But it was Serena's inner beauty that stole the breath of everyone she meets. She was unbelievably kind, selfless, sweet and had a devotion and loyalty to her friends and family that was unmeasurable. There wasn't _anything_ Serena would do for someone she loved. Her kindness was inspiring and she was _happy_. Truly happy. When Serena laughed, even on your worst day you couldn't help but laugh with her. And if you were down, Serena wouldn't stop until you were smiling and laughing just like she was.

There was no sweeter or more pure heart than that of Serena Stevens.

And there was no more closed or protected heart than that of Darien Shields. The two were complete opposites when it came to their hearts. While Serena wore hers on her sleeve, Darien kept his behind walls so high that navy SEALS couldn't scale them.

When Mina looked at Darien, she thought of loneliness and sadness and tragedy. Not that Darien let anyone see that, he was so very good at hiding it – Mina suspected that was due to a lifetime of practise. It had taken Mina a long time to realise just how alone Darien really was.

Mina blinked, pulled from her thoughts by the silence. Looking around, Mina caught sight of Darien's back as he stepped through the two automatic glass doors at the front of the arcade. He stalked briskly down the sidewalk and disappeared.

"What a jerk!" Serena cried out in frustration, as she continued to fume even after Darien had left.

Mina shook her head in vexation. When were the two going to wake up, grow up and realise that there was more between them than their childish wish to drive the other crazy every time they were near each other?

* * *

Half an hour later Serena found herself walking home. The sun was half set beneath the horizon, casting glorious shades of dark gold, pink and purple across the sky above. The first star had yet to appear, but it wouldn't be long now.

Serena had to get home. Her curfew was only half an hour away. Plenty of time for her to get home, but not enough to take any detours.

The sunset was beautiful, and normally her eyes would have been glued to the glorious colours of the spectacular sunset, but as of late Serena had trouble enjoying even the simple things that had always brought her pleasure.

Serena knew why. She was troubled. No one knew, not her friends, not her parents. No one. She had kept it to herself. She _had_ to keep it to herself. She had a secret. No one could ever know, at least not for six more weeks . . .

Serena was four blocks from the arcade, on her usual route home. She was at the mid-block alleyway that ran through the block, separating the backs of two rows of businesses when two large hands reached out of the twilight shadows and grasped hold of her.

With a startled yelp, Serena was yanked into the alley, dropping her school bag right before she was pushed backwards up against a cool brick wall.

Before Serena could make another sound, a mouth descended down upon hers as the large strong hands that had grabbed her wrapped around her waist, pulling her brazenly against an iron hard erection that was digging in the most tantalising manner into her belly.

A familiar scent filled her senses, the touch of the ravenous lips on her own and the large wondering hands as familiar to her as her own were.

And just like that Serena was lost to the wild uncontrollable burning passion that had always consumed her when _he_ was near her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted herself up, pulling herself closer against him. His hold on her tightened, and they were so snugly pressed against each other that a crowbar couldn't have been inserted between them to get them apart.

But it wasn't enough. It was never enough. Serena desperately rubbed herself against his erection in helpless abandon, her body screaming for more, always more but never was it enough. Her body was on fire, delicious sensations were zinging through her body like pleasurable electric shocks. Her blood was fire in her veins, fuelled on by his touch, his taste, his scent, his own raging ravenous hunger for her.

"It's been too long." Darien panted breathlessly between hard passionate kisses that curled her toes and made her entire body burn even hotter, if such a thing was possible.

"Two days." Serena gasped in agreement, as she lifted her head to give him access to her neck – she loved it when he kissed and nipped her neck. She loved it when he kissed and nipped her _anywhere_.

It had been two days since they'd been together, _really together_. And each moment had felt like an eternity.

"Invite me over tonight." Serena gasped raggedly, unable to catch her breath no matter how hard her body was trying too. Inside her chest, her heart was beating a million miles a minute. "I'll tell mum I'm staying at Rei's."

Darien froze, his entire body becoming rigid around her and Serena immediately knew that she'd made a big mistake.

Her heart sank and her desire began to cool, just a little. It was always like this when she tried to push, tried to take things that last step. _He_ was always like this when she brought the subject up.

She should have known better? Why, oh why, couldn't she have just kept her mouth shut? These moments were brief and far enough between as it was.

Darien broke away from her, removing his hands from her body and retreating half a step. He bowed his head so he wasn't looking at her at all, breathing hard like he'd just run three miles at a dead run. He planted his hands on the wall on each side of her body, trapping her where she was between him and the wall.

"I've told you, no." Darien growled the words out, as if it took a great deal of effort just to force them out of his mouth. "Not until you're old enough."

 _Old enough_. Serena was SO sick and tired of hearing about their age difference from him! Was three years, two months and one week _really THAT_ great a difference? Darien had just turned nineteen – only three weeks before – and Serena was only six weeks from her sixteenth birthday.

 _Six itty bitty weeks_. Was she really going to be any different in six weeks other than her age going up by _one?_

"You mean until I'm no longer jail bait?" Serena hated that her voice sounded both sarcastic and hurt all at the same time. She couldn't help it. She was _so over_ their age.

Serena knew from experience that nothing cooled Darien's lust for her faster than him believing that he'd hurt her or her feelings.

Darien said nothing in reply to her words or her tone.

"But I want you." Serena told him gently, wanting to touch him but fearful that she'd only make his withdraw even further from her, both physically and mentally. "It's only six weeks. Does it really make that much difference? Will I be so different in six weeks?"

"Serena, _don't_. Please." He begged her, his tone one of pain and effort.

"Don't you want me?" Serena whispered breathlessly. There was only one thing she wanted more than to go to his apartment with him right now, and that was to have his passion, his unquenchable fire, back.

"You know I want you." Darien growled, finally lifting his eyes to meet hers. There was hunger in his eyes, a desperate one, but there was something else there too. Something that told her how close to the edge of his limits he was. He wanted her, he loved her, but his damn morals kept getting in the way.

He was adamant that he wasn't going to make love to her until she was sixteen.

 _In. Six. Weeks._

"Then why not?" Serena kept pushing him. She couldn't help it. She knew how much effort it was taking him to keep saying no; she was just hoping that she'd eventually push him far enough that he'd forget his damn resolve not to touch her until she was of age, at least for an hour or two.

Unfortunately, Serena suspected that Darien knew _exactly_ what she was doing. Either that or he was made of pure titanium.

Darien's eyes cooled and he glared at her crossly. "You mean other than I can go to prison for statutory rape?"

Okay, alright already. Yesh! What did a girl have to do to get her boyfriend to give in already?

Serena knew the answer to her question, but she just wasn't that brave or that confident – or _that_ desperate just yet – to do what she couldn't think about doing without blushing deep red.

Serena put on her most seductive look – a newly discovered weapon in her arsenal – and leaned forward so she could whisper huskily into his ear. "And you don't think it would be worth it?"

Darien ground his teeth together. " _Serena_." He hissed hotly from between them, his tone one of warning.

It took everything Serena had not to smile just in case he pulled back enough to see her face. Oh, how quickly she could drive him wild, both his lust and his temper. That was one of the things Serena loved about their relationship, whether they were fighting – for the sake of their facade or for real – or making out, it was always hot and wild and deliciously thrilling.

"Darien." Serena whispered into his ear, using that purr in her voice that she knew would strongly affect him.

They had been doing this for over a year now. Serena knew how to make his blood boil.

"Serena!" This time the word was a drawn-out plea and scolding reprimand all in one. Darien pulled away from her enough to look at her, to stare into her eyes, allowing her to see all the passion and desperation in his eyes. "When we started doing this we made a deal, didn't we? We tell no one and we don't cross _that_ line until the law says you're old enough to make that decision."

Serena's heart melted at how tortured he looked and how beseeching he sounded. She never felt more powerful or more sensual than when she was with him. When she was with him she wasn't a clumsy teenage girl, she was a strong powerful seductress who could do anything she wanted.

Serena shifted her body closer to his, making his eyes widen.

"But you want me?" Serena whispered to him in her soft voice, knowing her eyes were wide and beseeching. She wanted to hear him say it and she knew just how to make him.

When they were together like this, Darien was putty in her hands. He loved her. And she loved him.

Darien sigh heavily with exaggerated patience. Again, he knew _exactly_ what she was doing, but he was powerless against her regardless.

And he knew it.

"Yes, Serena I want you." He raised his hand to her face and gently cupped her check, rubbing his thumb slowly back and forth along her skin. "I would die to have you."

Serena's heart skipped a beat and low in her belly she felt the most delightful twinge. "Why do you want me?" She asked flirtatiously, moving closer to him and pressing her body against him in that way that she knew he loved.

Darien glared down at her – he really was so much taller than her – but he didn't reprimand her as he so obviously wanted too. Instead he gently wrapped his arms around her and held her close. He then lowered his head and rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"Because I love you." He whispered softly to her.

"And I love you, so much it hurts." Serena told him unabashedly, wrapping her arms around his waist and closer her eyes as she nuzzled his chest with her cheek. "I hate that this is the only way we can be together. Brief moments in secret."

"Six more weeks." Darien whispered with deep longing in such a way that it sounded like he was reassuring himself as well as her.

"Six more weeks." Serena repeated softly, doing exactly the same thing.

Serena closed her eyes and basked in the feel of being in his arms, surrounded by his strength and his heat, as a mixture of hope for the future and sadness swirling around inside of her.

 _Six more weeks. Just six more weeks. And then she would be his in all ways._

* * *

Chapter End Notes:

 **Happy New Year Everyone!**


	2. Chapter 1 - Week 6

Author's Chapter Notes:

 **Hi Everyone!**

 **I know it's been a while, but I've had to take some time off from writing. But I'm back and I'm here to stay!**

 ** **As some of you already know, this fic is a challenge to myself - can I keep it under 6 chapters with a limit of 40 pages per? Well, time will tell. This also means that some scenes are shorter than I would like or were originally written.****

 ** ** **I am also trying to limit my rambling and my repetitiveness.******

 ** ** ** **Let me know what you think!********

* * *

 **Six Weeks**

 **Week 6**

* * *

 **Monday**

Serena woke up Monday morning feeling different. She couldn't describe _how_ she felt different exactly but something had definitely changed. S _he just felt different_. Why and how, she couldn't put her finger on, but it was a little scary, in that way that all significant change usually was.

Mondays had always been the same old routine. After groaning at the sound of her alarm going off that signalled that it was time to get up out of bed and get ready for yet _another_ long boring day at school, Serena rolled over and buried her head beneath her pillow in hope that she'd be able to get just a few more minutes sleep before her mother came in and sternly ordered her to get up.

All the while with Serena wishing that it was Saturday. The one day of her week when she tried her very best to sleep past noon despite all the noise her parents and brother made as they went about _their_ Saturday.

But eventually, after a sharp reprimand from her mother, Serena would bolt out of bed because she was now VERY late for school, which meant that Mrs Haruna – her homeroom teacher – was going to give her yet another afterschool detention.

Sometimes, Serena would remember the lunch her mother had made for her, but half the time she forgot it on her mad rush out the door.

And so after either remembering to grab her lunch at the last second or forgetting it entirely until well after she'd made it to school, Serena made her usual mad dash to school.

Now, the mad dash usually went one of two ways. Either she was just running "late" as opposed to "LATE" and she had enough sense to watch out for telephone and power poles and the like, or she was running "LATE" and was in such a frantic panic that she wasn't as vigilant with the lookout for obstructions.

On LATE days Serena usually ran into at least one of the aforementioned obstructions. Although funnily enough, the one _obstruction_ that Serena ran into the most was none other than Darien himself.

And if it wasn't Darien, then it was usually the telephone pole located _right_ _next_ to wherever Darien was standing.

For the first two years that she and Darien had known each other, this had without fail led to an argument between the two of them that usually revolved around just how clumsy and "ditzy" she was. Darien had loved to tease her almost as much as Serena had loved yelling childish insults back at him.

It had happened so often that more than once Serena had wondered if maybe he'd been there waiting for her.

God, she'd hoped so because honestly, before their relationship had _evolved_ into something so much . . . much . . . _more_ , their arguments had secretly been Serena's primary guilty pleasure.

There had been a fiery passion between them from the beginning, pulling them towards each other as indomitably as magnets that sparkled and sizzled whenever they got close to each other.

Only now in hindsight did Serena understand that they'd tormented each other out of a secret attraction for each other that had been intertwined with a reluctance to admit, even to themselves, just how much they enjoyed their bantering because it meant that the other was paying attention to them.

And then their relationship had morphed into something so much _more_. The sparks between the two of them had grown in intensity so great that it had taken a single kiss to make them both realise that what they had had the potential to become something worth risking everything for.

And so now when Serena literally _ran into_ Darien on her mad dash to school, no matter how late she was she always found time to _enjoy_ the experience.

And who wouldn't? Darien was handsome, charming and oh boy, could he kiss! Darien was the only man she'd ever kissed as their kiss had been her first kiss, but she didn't need to have kissing experience with others to know that Darien was _talented_.

And although Serena's addiction to Darien and his kisses resulted in making her even later for school which of course resulted in even more detention, it was SO worth it.

This had been the way for the past three years. For as long as Serena had known Darien this had been her usual weekday morning. It had only been in the past twelve months that when the opportunity presented itself their bickering had become a chance to make out.

That had been the norm. Before now.

From the moment she had opened her eyes this morning, without knowing why, Serena knew that this morning was going to be _different_ because _she_ was _different_.

Maybe _that_ was what had her feeling so strange this morning. She'd been awake only a few minutes but already things _were_ undeniably different.

For starters, Serena found herself awake a full two minutes _before_ her alarm was set to go off. She was awake _early_ with no desire to roll over and try to go back to sleep as she'd done almost every morning she could remember.

 _This_ morning she was _awake_ and _alert_. On a _Monday_ morning.

Hmm. Serena further examined her current state and found herself to be . . . . . _calm_. There was also this sense inside of her that she was _ready_ to face the day ahead.

Strange.

Shaking her head in bewilderment, Serena threw aside her covers, reached over to switch off the alarm that had yet to sound and made her way into her ensuite bathroom. It was small but had everything a teenage girl needed.

No, not _girl._ She wasn't a girl anymore. She didn't understand why but she had woken this morning a _young woman_.

Her home was a four-bedroom house. Her parents had the master bedroom with the master ensuite, Serena had the second biggest bedroom on the other side of the hall from her parent's bedroom that had a small ensuite, while her younger brother Sammy had one of the two remaining bedrooms _that didn't have its own bathroom_.

Serena couldn't help herself, she grinned haughtily at the thought. There were few benefits of being the eldest child, but _this_ was definitely one of them. Besides, she was a _girl_ and as her mother told Sammy every time he complained about his sister having the better bedroom, _girls_ had a greater need for their own bathroom than boys did. Girls needed their space. _Young women_ needed their space.

He he. It was childish – a habit born of _years_ spent living under the same roof as her younger brother – but getting the best of her annoying younger brother – who often endeavoured to make _her_ life as irksome as possible – was still one of the greatest joys of her life – her _home_ _life_ at least.

And so because Serena had woken this morning without the urge to roll over and try to get a few more minutes of sleep, she wasn't running late this morning. Serena couldn't remember the last time she _hadn't_ risen from bed already running late for school.

Serena decided that since she had the time that she was going to have a nice warm shower to begin her day. It was something she rarely enjoyed on a school day thanks to her typical-teenager sleeping habits.

Serena stepped into the bathroom and was immediately greeted by the sight of her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She looked the same, but she didn't. It was the same face staring back at her that had been there yesterday but this time she looked closer and for the first time she saw the glimpses of adulthood in her face and her body.

The shape of her face had changed ever-so-slightly, her checks were slimmer, and there was something about her eyes that she could quite identity, but they seemed just that little bit more noticeable. She couldn't pinpoint why. And even in her unflattering pyjamas Serena could tell that her hips, on the other hand, were becoming more profound, and as were her breasts.

No doubt all of this had been happening for a while, it was just the first time she'd really looked at herself with new eyes and noticed the changes puberty had done to her body.

And speaking of her pyjamas, her body wasn't the only thing she was looking at with new eyes.

Even though the pyjamas she was wearing had been her favourite for nearly two years, Serena acknowledged to herself that it was time to surrender the pink bunny pyjamas for something more suitable for her age. She was growing up, becoming a woman, it was time that she started embracing it. Her childhood was done, it was time to look ahead to the woman she'd one day be.

Stripping off her pink flannel pyjamas with the white bunnies on them and making a mental note to spend some of her saved allowance on a few new pieces of sleepwear, Serena stepped into the shower and turned on the water, adjusting the temperature until it was just perfect.

Steam quickly filled up the tiny bathroom.

Maybe today was going to be a good day, even if it was a weekday, a _Monday_ and she had to go to school.

She might have woken with a feeling that things were different, that this was a significant point in her life, but she was still _her_ , still _Serena_ , and the fact of it was that she hated school. She might not always _hate_ it but she'd never _like_ school.

Serena purred in blissful contentment as the hot water cascaded down her naked body in that delicious way that only perfectly temperatured warm water could.

She was in heaven.

Serena reached for the soap and all of a sudden the memory of Darien's large strong _skilled_ hands on her body from last night filled her mind, making her skin tingle and insides grow warm for reasons that had _nothing_ to do with the hot shower she was currently enjoying.

Her tingling skin felt tight and really warm. Her breast felt heavy and acutely sensitive. Her darkened nipples hardened and there was a tantalising demanding ache in her body that ran from her breasts to that secret place low in her belly.

 _Darien_. His face hovered behind her closed eyelids as ghostly memories of his touch whispered fleetingly over her naked flesh feeling almost as real as if he were there in the shower with her.

Serena sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and sank her teeth into the soft flesh to keep her building moan from escaping. It wasn't _likely_ that her parents or her brother would hear her from the hallway beyond her bedroom door, but she wasn't going to take the risk. She REALLY didn't want to be interrupted.

What was happening to her? To her body? She felt . . . too much, all at once she was feeling _too much_. Sensation was overwhelming her, hot maddening pleasurable sensation.

It made her want, yearn. She wanted Darien there in the shower with her. She wanted it to be his hands on her body instead of her own. She wanted it so much she was burning alive with the need of it.

Her need for Darien's touch on her body in this moment was so great, so overwhelming that Serena was left with no choice but to close her eyes tight and pull up every memory she had of his hands on her body.

Darien wasn't there with her, but she could _pretend_ that he was, that her hands were his . . .

So, it wasn't her shaking inexperienced hands caressing her breasts. No, it was Darien's large strong confident hands that were cupping her breasts that felt heavy and tingly, it was Darien's fingers that were rubbing and lightly pinching her aching pebbled nipples.

Serena leaned back against the wall over the shower bay, her legs unsteady beneath her, barely aware of the cool tile against her back. Her focus was almost entirely centred on the front of her naked body.

Even though Darien had never touched her breasts except through the material of her bra, Serena found her fantasy becoming so real that it was Darien's hands on her body, giving her pleasure that she so desperately hungered for.

The pleasure was the most delicious, breath-taking overwhelming sensation she'd ever experienced. It was pulsating from her breasts to her lower belly and back again was all-consuming. There was nothing else but the living hot pulsing pleasure inside of her too warm body. It was too much and not enough all at the same time.

She wanted more. She wanted to know, to experience how this ended . . .

But did she dare?

Doubt born of inexperience stilled Serena's hands.

Serena wanted to slide her hands further down her body to her secret place, but she hesitated. She hadn't done anything like this before, although she knew it's what other girls her age did. Girls who had far more confidence in their body's and their sexual prowess. Girls like Lita and Rei.

And even though she'd had a boyfriend for over a year, thanks to Darien's stubborn clutch on his morals, Serena's own newly-realised sexual confidence faltered.

Serena huffed in frustration. She turned around and pressed her naked front against the cool tile of the wall in a desperate effort to cool her overheated body.

She'd chickened out and her body was pissed at her because of it. She was left feeling frustrated and wanting.

Pressing her face against the cool tile, Serena closed her eyes and focused on cooling her overheated body and slowing her panting breath and pounding heartbeat.

The next six weeks were going to be hell if this was what it felt like to be this sexually frustrated at week one.

Heaven save her, for the first time in her life she knew real sexual frustration and there was nothing she could do – well there was but it seemed that she wasn't ready for self-pleasure yet – she could do to relieve it.

It was going to be a long long six weeks.

* * *

Even the way she got dressed was _different._ Normally she yanked her school uniform on as quickly as she could, often trying to do two things at once – which wasn't something she was good at – putting her shoes on so fast that often she put on mismatched socks – or forgot to put on socks at all – and then brushing and putting up her long golden hair _while_ she was running haphazardly to school – this usually let to her running into something.

A street post, a mail box or her favourite thing – Darien himself. No doubt he'd sported a bruise or two from having her crash into him like _Wylie Coyote_.

Today Serena dressed calmly and in her own time. She dressed in her school uniform that was the same uniform she'd worn since starting high school and put her on her shoes with matching white socks, but then she did something she hadn't done before school in a long time – if ever.

Serena sat herself down at her bureau and leisurely ran her hairbrush through her long golden hair, taking the time to enjoy the pleasant feeling of the brush running gently through her locks. And once her hair was brushed until it was smooth and shiny, she deftly worked the locks into a plait that once she flipped it over her shoulder cascaded down her back, ending at her mid-thighs.

She'd always worn her hair up in two pigtails, the top of which sat on top of her head like two meatballs – hence the origin of Darien's teasing name for her. _Meatball Head._ Once the very sound of it had set her teeth on edge but now it only made her smile with affection and fondness.

Today Serena wanted to do something different with her hair, even if just for today. Something that was a little more grown up. Something that suited her mood today.

As a finishing touch Serena added some pink lip gloss to her lips, something she normally didn't have the time to do in the mornings.

Serena felt peaceful, _serene_ even and she couldn't for the life of her remember the last time she'd felt like this, like she had all the time in the world and there wasn't one thing wrong in her world.

And although her sexual frustration still lingered, it had mercifully subsided to a bearable low boil.

What had changed? And how had so much changed in one night? What had happened last night that at the time hadn't seemed important that today had her feeling like a different person?

One thing was certain for her though; Serena knew that Darien was the cause of her new state of being.

When she was with Darien she didn't feel like a child. She didn't feel like the child she'd otherwise always felt like. She felt _grown up_ , she felt like a _woman_. Which made sense because what she did feel when she was in Darien's arms was something that no child should _ever_ feel.

Huh. So was she _growing up_ or had she _grown up_? Now there was a question that could – and possible would – keep her up at night.

Feeling too at peace, too serene, to want to keep worrying about something that she knew she couldn't solve in the immediate future, Serena shrugged her thoughts away and now dressed and ready for the day ahead, Serena went downstairs to breakfast.

And was met with the wide-eyed opened-mouthed disbelieving stares from her family. Her father and brother were seated at the table eating the breakfast her mother was still serving them – which by the smell of it was waffles.

"Good morning." Serena greeted them cheerfully, forgoing the waffles in favour of a small apricot yoghurt and a banana. If she was going to start being an adult she might as well start eating like one – for breakfast at least.

Baby steps, at least when it comes to food. If she tried going cold turkey with chocolate or ice cream or any of the other good foods like pizza, then she was going to fail in changing her diet to a healthier, more mature one.

Her mother was the first to recover. Blinking a few times before smiling at her with that smile that only mothers had for their children. "Morning sweetheart. You're up early."

Serena didn't respond, just gave her mother a genuinely happy smile that reflected her calm content state. Her life was perfect, and she was going to enjoy the contentment that came with it.

"Does this mean that hells frozen over?" Her brother Sammy asked as he resumed eating his maple syrup-soaked stack of waffles that was large enough to feed two people.

"Sammy!" Their mother reprimanded from behind him, although whether she was reprimanding him for his language or for insulting his sister Serena wasn't sure. Not that it mattered. In her current state there was nothing her brother could do to upset her good mood.

With her yoghurt finished and banana in hand, Serena collected her school bag and after biding her family goodbye for the day she was out the door, heading to school at a leisurely pace for once and enjoying her banana.

It was a beautiful morning, not a cloud in sight, which perfectly matched her pleasant mood. And again, because she'd gotten up on time Serena could take the time to appreciate the lovely morning. The warm sun on her face and the slight breeze that was just the right temperature made it easier for her to keep her good mood in place even as she moved along the busy city sidewalk.

Serena was halfway to school, only a block from the arcade, when she turned the corner and saw _him_. Her eyes finding him almost immediately as if she'd known he'd be there. As if something, a sixth sense, always knew when he was near.

Darien was leaning against the black iron barred fence of the local park only a short distance from the park's entrance. It was small as parks went, taking up only a single square block, but it had everything parks typically had. Tall healthy trees that provided plenty of shade and neatly kept flower beds that contained flowers of many bright colours. It had grassy areas where various sports could be played by families and groups of children, it also had playground equipment for the children to jump all over.

And it was kept that little bit apart from the hustle and bustle of the city beyond it by the line of trees and the fence that surrounding its entire permitter. There was a gate on each of its four sides that allowed entrance.

Even though it was on the small side, it was still big enough that if one found the right place inside they could almost forget that they were in the middle of a large bustling city.

But Serena didn't care about any of that right now. What she was completely focused on was the tall dark man with dark blue eyes who was obviously waiting for someone or something, judging by the way he glanced at his watch.

Serena smiled tenderly, taking a moment to admire the sight of him. He hadn't seen her yet as he most likely wasn't expecting her for another twenty minutes to half an hour. He had that far off look in his eyes that told her that he was lost in his thoughts, miles away as the expression went. He was leaning against the bared iron fence of the park in the shade of one of the expansive acorn trees that bordered the park.

He really was handsome. And not just your everyday handsome either. No, Darien Shields was drool-worthy, heart thumping through women's ribcage, tongue uncurling onto the floor drop-dead gorgeous kind of handsome.

And he was all hers.

How? Serena still didn't understand how it had come to be, and it wasn't something she wanted to look at too closely either, but why was he with her? He could have any girl – or woman – he wanted, even one of those nineteen year old college girls who were so much more mature and . . .

Serena looked downwards at herself.

. . . more _developed_ than she was.

What did Darien see when he looked at her? What did he see _in_ her?

Serena had never told him, but her greatest fear was that one day he would wake up and realise just how much better he could do than her.

And that day would kill her. She loved him so much.

Serena had always found it so easy to love, but she'd never _known_ love, not real honest-to-god soul-consuming uplifting true love. It had never even crossed her mind with any seriousness that she was even capable of experiencing such powerful love. Love that made her blissfully happy and ecstatically hopeful for the future. Love that made her feel so strong that she could conquer the world with it. Love that she would do anything for.

Until Darien. He had changed her whole world, her whole life, for the better.

Is this how everyone experienced love? Dare she even think that this love was one of those that singers sung about and poets wrote about? The kind of love that most girls dreamed about in their heart of hearts?

The kind of love that lived and breathed in every waking thought and swayed every decision she made.

Such as the decision she'd already made and come to peace with. On her birthday she was going to become intimate with the man she loved, the man she would do anything for. He was her first love and in her heart of hearts she knew that he would be her only love. She wanted to start living their life together and this was the first real step towards that life, that future that she wanted to be living now.

It would happen one day. One day there would no longer be any barriers between them, not their age difference, not her father and not the law. One day they could be together. Forever.

Serena knew it in her heart and she knew it in the way Darien looked at her.

 _Oh, the way Darien looked at her!_ It stole her breath away each and every time.

Serena knew without any doubt that Darien loved her – what was in doubt was the _why_ – and cherished her. The way he looked at her . . . that look in his eyes reached right through her to her heart. His eyes were always gentle when he looked at her like that. They seemed to sparkle with his love for her.

And Darien always – except when they were staging one of their argument for their friends and family – treated her like she was someone to be cherished and adored. He was so gentle with her, always so tender and caring. Even when they were overcome by passion his hands were always gentle on her body.

Serena sunk her teeth into her bottom lip against the delicious shiver that ran through her at the thought of Darien's gentle and skilled hands on her body. The heat from her earlier shower rising once again.

While she thought her body lacking, Darien treated her body like it was physically painful for him when he wasn't touching her and it made her feel beautiful and special. For some reason he couldn't seem to get enough of touching her.

Which made Serena question his insistence that they wait until she was _legal_. She wanted a much more intimate relationship with him – because she wanted him, but also because it _felt right_ – so so much.

Just under six more weeks. Was six weeks really that important in the grand scheme of things?

It loomed before her, seeming like such a _long_ period of time, an eternity. How was she going to last _six more weeks_ with this burning desire inside of her getting stronger by the day?

Heaven only knew.

Pulling herself from her thoughts before the desire could rise again with as much vigour as it had in the shower, Serena made her way to where her Darien was waiting.

Darien seemed to sense her before he either heard or saw her because she was still several feet from him when his head suddenly snapped around and his eyes found hers.

A look of delighted surprise spread across his face as his whole face came alive with his happiness at seeing her. That sparkling look of love entered his eyes and that gentle loving smile that always took her breath away took hold of his lips.

The way Darien seemed to immediately come to life whenever they were together made her both glad and sad all at the same time. Glad because she loved to see him happy and carefree, and sad because it reminded her just how alone Darien had been before they'd found each other.

Darien was an orphan. He'd told her about his childhood during their third month of dating. The memory always made her heart swell with such tender love for him.

Serena could still hear his sad whispered words from that night when he'd opened up to her about his past for the first time.

" _I'm an orphan, Serena. My parents died in a car crash when I was six years old. I grew up in an orphanage until I came of age. I was always alone and for so long I preferred it that way because I knew I wouldn't be able to survive losing anyone else I loved. It was that way until I met Andrew and he's such a great guy, a good friend, that all of my defences were useless against his relentless determination to be my friend. He wasn't put off at all by my aloofness."_

" _And then I met you Serena and you brought all those walls tumbling down with an ease that terrified me and so I tormented you so that you wouldn't see just how defenceless I was against you and your shining charms."_

Serena smiled softly at the memory. It had been hard for Darien to open up to her about his painful lonely past but he'd done so because he didn't want anything between them, no secrets nor even his own inner walls.

Serena watched as Darien drank her in with his eyes, not saying a word as he stared down into her eyes with such loving reverence that it stole her breath away and she was left speechless.

While Serena often wondered why he'd chosen her to love, why he'd picked _her_ , Darien looked at her like he couldn't believe she was real. Like she was the goddess he'd prayed too all his life but never even dared to dream he would one day be able to stand in the presence of.

Darien cherished her, and it made her feel so loved and precious that she knew she'd never stop loving him. She loved him for the man he was, and she loved the way he loved her.

Serena couldn't stand it any longer. She had to touch him. But they couldn't in public. If the wrong person saw them it could mean serious trouble for Darien, the worst of which was either jail or being murdered by her homicidally overprotective father.

Either way, they wouldn't be able to be together anymore.

Giving him a secret sly smile Serena swept passed him and with hurried steps entered the park, immediately turning right and leaving the paved path where she entered the cluster of trees tucked into the triangle shaped space behind the park's large double iron gates.

Not many people knew that there was a tiny clearing between the trees that ran the parks perimeter and the high hedges that had been planted at the gates for more decoration than anything. There they were protected from all sides from any and all prying eyes.

Serena ducked through the small barely noticeable gap in the hedge knowing that Darien was right behind her.

Once inside, Serena immediately turned to him, the two of them filling up most of the space in their secret make-out spot. She put her back to the course trunk of the acorn tree between two thick branches that did an excellent job of concealing them from any eyes that might glance their way from the upper floors of the buildings on the opposite side of the street.

Serena let her school bag slip from her fingers to the damp ground, not caring about it's wellbeing in the least and turned her full focus to the tall man who was filling up most of the narrow space that was in this moment their haven.

"You're early this morning." Darien purred softly to her, his approval that she had been clear in his tone.

"I needed to see you." Serena whispered back truthfully, revelling in the way he made her feel just by being close to her. In the shower this morning she had imagined his hands on her body, but the anticipation that his hands really were going to be on her body was making said body both hum in anticipation and cry out in frustration that he wasn't touching her already!

Darien didn't waste a moment more of their precious fleeting time together, he rarely did. He curled one hand around her neck, cupping the back of her head while his other large warm hand went to her cheek, where he gently caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers.

It was the caress of a lover and it sent the most delicious shivers down Serena's body, making her body hum and burn for him. What he could do to her with a single touch still astounded her, even after a year of secret rendezvouses like this.

Oh, how she'd missed him! Yes, she'd only been in his arms the night before but now that she was once again in his arms it felt like it had been days, not hours.

Her hands curled against his chest, grasping the front of his shirt in as tight a grip as she was capable and without even being aware that she was doing so she yanked him towards her, desperately impatient for the kiss she knew was coming.

Serena saw the hint of a grin on Darien's lips right before he lowered his head over her and finally caressed her lips with his own in the barest whispers of a kiss.

And just like that Serena was in heaven. She was home. She was where she was meant to be. This is where she belonged, this was her place in the world. In Darien's arms she was complete, she was whole. In his arms she was as strong and powerful as a goddess and as helplessly at his mercy as a slave.

Heaven help her, she was lost and found all at the same time.

How could something so right be any form of wrong? She felt like she'd die without this, without her Darien.

After a few minutes Darien's hands made their maddeningly slow way downwards. His large hands caressed every inch of her upper body, her shoulders, her back, her waist, her stomach and – _finally!_ – her breasts.

His touch was as familiar to her as her own. In the shower this morning her hands and her imagination hadn't done his touch any justice at all. It was one thing to pretend his touch, but it was nothing in comparison to his actual touch. Her body burned for him, her skin tingled in the wake of his glorious touch.

And even though it was heaven, over the clothes touching was _never enough_. She wanted more, oh so so much MORE! Her body burned for more, her inside quivered and hummed and pulsated in the most delicious way, but _it was never enough_!

And never enough was slowly driving her insane!

While Darien was caressing his body, Serena was caressing his. She loved his touch, his hands on her body in that maddening way he had of running his hands all over her lost in the abandon of their passionate intense kisses but she also loved reciprocating.

Darien had never put any restrictions on her touching of him. Her only restrictions were her own, born of her inexperience and her shyness. While Darien tended to mainly restrict his touch to above clothing, Serena had no qualms about slipping her hands inside his shirt to caress the skin over hard flesh beneath.

Serena loved his heated hardness beneath her hands. His clothes did a good job of hiding the hard leanly muscled cyclist body beneath. His abs were perfectly defined, his stomach was flat and his muscles flexed beneath a tanned layer of flawless skin. She could never get enough of touching him like this, of caressing and being caressed in return while being basking in the ravenous onslaught of passionate kisses.

Time ceased to mean anything. There was only Darien and the passion and the pleasure that were all consuming.

A car horn blared just beyond the cover of their haven, startling Serena out of her own personal heaven and the outside world came crashing into their haven.

Serena remembered that while she'd woken early this morning they still only had a brief window to be together.

Serena opened one eye and raised one hand so she could glance at her watch and yelped when she saw the time.

Tearing her lips from Darien's and her hands from his body, Serena hastily picked up her bag and checked that her clothing was as it should be. It wasn't but she was decent enough to brave the city streets as she made her mad dash the rest of the way to school.

"I'm late!" Serena yelped. She hastily planted one last kiss on her love's lips and with his amused chuckling in her ears, Serena ducked low and stepped out of their secret haven on the edge of a public park that was in the middle of the city and only a few feet from a crowded sidewalk.

Straitening her blouse, Serena cast one last longing look at the greenery that concealed her Darien before she took off towards the school like the hounds of hell were on her heels.

NOW she was late. But this morning's delay was _so_ worth the detention she was inevitably going to get.

There was nothing like starting the day with a make-out session – though brief it had been longer than they normally had – with the man she loved.

* * *

Detention. _Again_! How many times in one year could one person get detention?! Wasn't there a limit or something, a yearly quota, to how many times one student could get detention in one school year?!

It wasn't like Serena was a bad student – behaviour-wise of course, not grades-wise – nearly all her detentions in the last two years had been because she'd been tardy to her first class of the day! It wasn't like she was out vandalising the principal's office or anything! She wasn't disrespectful to her teachers and she did her homework – not _well_ but she did it.

So she liked her sleep – and then making out with a certain upperclassman before school – and really _really_ hated detention! So what if she happened to _run into_ Darien on her way to school most mornings and got a little . . . _distracted._

 _Those_ were the mornings – like this morning – that made detention worth it – although no less boring. There was just something about making out with one's secret boyfriend that made the rest of the day seem so much more . . . _delightful_.

Serena spent most of her time in detention daydreaming about her Darien. About the times they'd had together – not just making out, but the arguments and that as well – and what lay ahead in the future for the both of them.

Serena knew without a doubt that she was in love with Darien. She didn't waste her time with wondering whether or not it was real love or if Darien loved her in return – she knew he did.

They were in love. It was a fact. In love like she'd never been before and she knew would never be again. She wasn't a delusional teenager who believed that every boy she liked she was madly in love with – kinda like Lita, but Serena tried not to judge her dear friend. She was in love with Darien. She knew her own heart, she knew she loved him with all her heart and that what they had was something special, something . . . lasting.

Something that was forever.

In the beginning Darien's heart had been well guarded, so much so that he he'd been incapable of loving anyone but his best friend Andrew. But then out of the blue he'd taken a chance on her and love had won out over his closely-guarded heart. That wasn't the kind of love that just dwindled away.

No, theirs was the kind of love that endured the test of time. Serena could feel it in her depths of her heart and her soul.

All that stood in their way was one law, her homicidally overprotective father and Darien's infuriating moral code. The law stood in their way only for another five and a half weeks and as for her father . . .

Well, that was a treacherous rickety bridge they'd have to cross when they came to it – which hopefully wouldn't happen for a long time yet. Her father was _definitely_ going to be the last person who found out about them.

With any luck her father wouldn't find out until she was twenty-five. One thing was for sure, he was _never_ going to know that they'd started dating when she'd been a few weeks from her fifteen birthday.

And as for Darien's stubborn refusal to touch her before she came of age . . . now _that_ was something she could do something about. There was Darien's moral code and then there was his love and lust for her. They couldn't actually make love for near another six weeks but there were _other things_ they could do to _warm up_ to the big event on her birthday.

All Serena had to do was push Darien just enough that he agreed, but she had to be subtle about it, careful. If she pushed too hard her stubborn Darien would take a step back from her and not touch her at all so not to tempt himself. But on the other side of that coin if she pushed too gently then she wasn't going to get what she wanted, what they both wanted.

Now what to do, what to do.

Simple seemed the smart way to go in this instance. What if she just did something as simple as being just that little bit more daring every time they made-out? Get a little bolder her in touches of him while encouraging him on in his touching of her? What if she asked him for just a little bit more when he was too enthralled to really think it through?

Serena bit her lip to keep her Cheshire cat grin off her face. The last thing she needed was to attract the detention teacher's attention.

Slowly breaking Darien is going to be fun!

The question was, did she have the nerve, the courage to go through with it?

* * *

Unfortunately Serena missed seeing Darien at all that afternoon when she finally made it out of detention. He had his martial arts class – her Darien was a black belt in two of the three martial arts he practised – on Monday evenings so unless Serena managed to avoid detention they didn't often meet up.

Serena settled into bed wearing her baby pink pyjamas – that she noticed was exactly like her bunny pyjamas except for the design and shade of pink – and picked up her cell phone.

There was a text message from Darien from only a few minutes ago – she'd been in the bathroom getting ready for bed.

 _'I missed u this arvo.'_

Serena quickly typed her reply, praying that he was near his phone. _'I missed u 2. I hate that we couldn't met up. It's always a better day when I c u.'_

The reply arrived within a minute. _'Ditto. Go 2 sleep so we mite meet up early again 2morrow. Dream of me.'_

Some nights they would text talk for hours, and then sometimes Darien needed to focus on his studies or wanted an early night so he could get up early to go for one of his daily early morning runs before facing his day ahead. _'I always do. Goodnite.'_

' _Goodnite my sweet.'_

Serena returned her phone to her bedside table and snuggled into her pillow with a gentle blissful smile on her lips. Life was better than good, it was perfect.

* * *

Across town Darien returned his cell phone to his bedside table and he settled down into bed, his arms folded behind his head. How his life had changed since he'd realised that he was in love with his golden haired goddess. He wasn't alone anymore.

Now he knew love and the happiness that came with it and he didn't intend to ever let it slip away.

* * *

 **Tuesday**

It was always an off day when Serena didn't see – or more to the point _run into_ – Darien.

There'd been no early morning collision or heated argument at the Arcade after school. And there definitely hadn't been any secret rendezvous. Although Serena knew why. Tuesdays were Darien's busiest day with his classes and other commitments. Being a medical student did take a lot of work, Serena got that. And then there were his martial arts classes and the time he spent with his best friend Andrew.

Serena had begrudgingly learnt to share her Darien with the rest of the world.

If Darien was going to become a doctor one day – and she had complete confidence that he was going to be a great one – then he had a lot of hard work ahead of him. He was three years into his medical degree and Serena wasn't going to get in the way of his dreams, not in the slightest. She was determined to support him all the way. She was proud of him too. He wanted something, and he worked hard to get it.

Serena wished she had that kind of drive when it came to her own education but no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't seem to get there, even with Amy's help.

Fortunately for the two of them though, not seeing each other at all for a full day didn't happen too often – thank god – but days such as this did happen. These were the days that Serena really missed Darien and made her really appreciate the time they did manage to find to spend together.

Serena always felt deprived and disappointed by the end of these days. Honestly, it felt like something important was missing from her life.

These were the days it was more difficult to find her smile.

These were the days that Serena re-realised just how much she loved Darien Shields and made her impatient for the days that they could be together without the need for secrecy.

One day. One day they would be together in all sense of word.

One day.

* * *

 **Wednesday**

 _CRASH! Splat! BANG!_

"AH! UGH! THAT'S COLD! ARE YOU CRAZY, MEATBALL BRAINS?! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO THROW YOUR THICKSHAKES AT ME?!"

"HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I WARNED YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT?!"

"No, you've warned me not to call you _Meatball Head_ , you _Meatball Head_! How many times do I have to tell you not to throw your milkshakes at me?! Do you get the extra ice cream with the intention of dousing me with it?! You are such a _Meatball Head!_ "

"What's Darien's record for calling Serena Meatball Head in one go?" Mina asked no one in particular.

"Fourteen." Came the exasperated reply from Andrew, Amy, Lita and Rei in perfect union.

As usual the five of them were watching the two bicker and argue like two six-year-olds. It had started only two minutes after the girls had entered the Crown Arcade after school and now less than five minutes later Serena was red in the face from yelling so much and Darien was covered in Serena's extra thick chocolate thick shake. She'd thrown it in his face, cup and all – which Darien had fortunately caught one handed which had prevented injury – and now there was thick gooey thick shake dripping from his head.

The half a glob of vanilla ice-cream resting on top of his head, just right of centre, completed the look of man who'd had thick shake thrown in his face.

This was not an uncommon look for the upperclassman, at least not in the Crown Arcade. It was so common that most of the Arcade's regular patrons continued on with their meals and conversations as though they couldn't see or hear the two arguing with each other at the top of their lungs in the middle of the establishment.

"What are we going to do with these two?" Amy asked the others with a heavy sigh. Honestly, when these two were in the same room it was like they both immediately transformed into small children!

Lita, who was grinning as usual at the entertaining display rather than shaking her head at them like the others, regarded them for a moment. "Nothing. They'll sort it out in their own time in their own way."

Lita suspected that the two were secretly hot for each other but because of their age difference – Serena being six weeks from her sixteenth birthday and Darien turning twenty not long after – and Serena's sweet nativity, they both denied it too themselves as well as the rest of the world. Secretly she was rooting for the two of them – when Serena was older of course.

They would make such a sweet couple! Serena felt too much and was a lot of fun and Darien didn't allow himself to feel much at all and was no fun, so it could very well bring balance to the two of them.

Many questioned why Andrew and the girls allowed this to carry on, but none of them really had an answer. They were all protective of Serena, and in the beginning Lita had watched them warily, just in case Darien ever raised his hand to Serena in anger, but they'd all learned over the years that while Darien yelled insults at Serena he never so much as threatened her in any way, shape or form.

And now even though Lita enjoyed their _performances_ , it was getting a little tedious, especially for Andrew – who reminded her so much of her ex-boyfriend – who had to clean up after them. Andrew was manager of the Arcade and seemed to have endless patience when it came to Darien, his best friend and Serena.

But it was getting to the point where enough was enough. These two had to come to some kind of truce or they'd end up either driving each other crazy or worse, they'd get banned from the Arcade. Not by Andrew, but by his parents who owned the Arcade.

Lita was sorely tempted to lock the two in a room together until they worked out their differences, even if it took all night.

It was a tempting idea with potential.

It was only Lita's loyalty to Serena that had kept her from doing something, but the day was coming when Lita would be able to convince herself that it was for Serena's best interest to work this thing out.

"YOU ARE SUCH A JERK!"

Amy winced as Serena's high-pitched squeal assaulted her eardrums and then sighed again. She'd had enough. It was time to get Serena out of there before she threw something else at Darien.

Breaking away from the line that were their friends watching the spectacle, Amy walked over to the two even as they continued to loudly insult each other and tapped Serena on the shoulder, drawing the fuming girl's attention to her.

"Come on Serena, that's enough for one day," Amy took two bills from her purse and handed them to Andrew. It would cover the thick shake that was still dripping down Darien's face. "Let's go before Andrew has a complete meltdown over the mess you've made. _Again_. We'll get you home and get your homework done. I'll stay and help."

Serena hesitated. Amy could see that Serena was trying to come up with a reason not to go and she suspected that it was because Serena _hated_ doing her homework, even though she did do it in the end. She had too.

Amy picked up Serena's school bag from the floor, handed it to her and then gently took hold of Serena's elbow and pulled her in the direction of the door.

Serena allowed herself to be lead out the door. Andrew turned his attention to the mess he now had to clean up and the other three girls turned to their untouched orders on the counter that they'd ordered before Serena and Darien had started going at it yet again.

So no one saw the regretful and longing glance Serena exchanged with Darien right before the automatic glass doors closed behind her.

* * *

Serena really hadn't wanted to walk home with Amy but she hadn't been able to think of a plausible excuse before the short-haired genius had pulled her out the door.

It wasn't like Serena could tell Amy or the rest of them that she didn't want to walk home with anyone was because that meant that she couldn't _meet up_ with Darien.

Disappointed and feeling a little sulky, Serena walked along beside Amy in silence. Not because she was mad at Amy or anything – she was just being a friend and looking out for her – but because she was disappointed. It seemed that the more time she wanted to spend with Darien the less time they had together.

And she wasn't the only one disappointed right now, Serena knew. When she'd cast a longing regretful glance in Darien's direction when she'd left the Arcade she'd seen her expression mirrored in Darien's own.

"Serena? What's the matter?" Amy asked, concern clear in her gentle voice. She wasn't just asking; Amy really cared that something was bothering her.

"Nothing," Serena told her, trying to sound convincing but she'd failed. Not miserably but just enough that Amy didn't buy it.

Serena wouldn't have either if their positions had been reversed.

Amy watched her expression for a long moment before she cleared her throat. "You know Serena, maybe you should try finding some common ground with Darien? Maybe that will help with his teasing."

More than anything Serena wanted to tell Amy the truth, tell all the girls and Andrew that the reason they behaved like children as they did was because they had too, because it was the only way to keep their secret a secret. Everyone had to believe that they couldn't stand each other so that they'd never catch onto the truth about their relationship.

It was the price she had to pay to be with Darien. She had to lie to her friends and family – only ever as much as absolutely possible – so that Darien didn't face serious trouble because they were breaking the law – even though it was a law that neither of them liked.

But they were in love and shouldn't love transcend everything else? Did six weeks really matter to her age when they were so deeply in love? They were going to spend the rest of their lives together, so why did six weeks matter so much to the world?

So because Serena had to protect her secret, she braced herself to continued the act she'd been playing in front of her friends for the past year.

Serena looked at Amy with faked disbelief and exclaimed incredulously, "You want me to be _friends_ with _HIM?!_ "

"Not friends, no." Amy amended quietly. "I don't expect that, but maybe the two of you could work out your differences enough that you could call a _truce_. At least one suitable enough to reduce the weekly property damage at the arcade."

"I didn't break anything today!" Serena objected loudly.

"Not today, no." Amy agreed somewhat reluctantly. "But you have to admit that you do break the occasion plate or glass. And you quite often make some sort of mess. You have to get out of this habit of throwing things Serena, it's not fair to Andrew, or Darien."

"Darien deserves it!" Serena objected.

" _But Andrew doesn't._ " Amy emphasized gently. "Do you know that his parents want to ban the two of you from the arcade? And it's not fair to Darien because you know that no matter how far you push him he'll never retaliate. Is it fair or sporting to throw things at someone you know will never throw anything back? It's akin to hitting someone who can't or won't hit back."

Serena had to bite her tongue against telling Amy that Darien didn't see it that way; that in fact Darien had told her not to change _anything_ about the way they fought so not to give themselves away.

Sometimes Serena even went over to Darien's apartment on Saturday to wash that hideous green jacket of his because he'd gone home the day before wearing her milkshake.

But Serena couldn't tell Amy any of that, so she instead called on her memories from before things had changed between her and Darien, to when their yelling matches had been real.

"I don't know what it is, Amy," Serena told one of her best friends in the world. "But I never _intend_ to do any of these things. He just gets me so mad that I kind of stop thinking. I don't know, he just rubs me the wrong way."

That last was such a downright lie that Serena half expected to get struck by lightning. Darien rubbed her all sorts of ways and _none_ of them were _wrong_.

Serena turned her head slightly so that Amy wouldn't see her affectionate smile that she couldn't keep from forming. If Amy only knew . . .

Once she had control of herself again, Serena turned back to Amy and gave a heavy sigh. "Alright Amy, I promise that I'll _try_ to tolerate him better."

Amy smiled broadly at Serena, beaming at her. "That's all I ask. Andrew will be so glad!"

Serena beamed back at her friend, thankful that she had such great and caring friends.

* * *

 **Thursday**

Serena had been up and out of bed before her alarm all week without fail and she was proud of herself. It hadn't just been a fluke Monday morning, no it seemed that she was serious about acting a little more her age and being more responsible.

It also helped that her reward for getting up on time was that she had that little more time with Darien – on the mornings they met up that was – at their secret place in the park. They hadn't had any chance to be together since Monday morning and even though it had technically only been two days since they'd been in each other's arms, it had felt like an eternity.

Darien had missed her just as much as she had him. Serena knew because the moment they had entered their haven, Darien had wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet, his lips finding hers and devouring her like he was a starving man and she was a three-course meal.

Then he'd pinned her against the tree, using one arm and his weight to keep her there while his other hand had found it's way beneath her top to caress her skin beneath.

It was so hot and even after a year of doing this none of that heat had dissipated. Every kiss was just like the very first that had happened out of the blue a year ago . . .

 _It was late and Serena had to get home but right now she didn't care. The jerk was giving her a bad time – AGAIN! – and she was so sick and tired of it!_

 _They stood alone on the sidewalk of the deserted street beneath a streetlight only two blocks from home and if Serena wasn't careful someone who knew her was going to see them._

 _That was all she needed, for her father to hear about her arguing in the middle of the street after curfew with Darien, who was so much older than her. He'd ground her for life and probably kill Darien-._

 _Hang on. That didn't sound like such a bad thing. Maybe she should let her father get word of this, then maybe Darien would leave her alone. Not that she really wanted that because she wouldn't see Darien anymore but still, the idea was tempting._

" _You are such a jerk!" Serena yelled at him, loud and shrill, just the way she knew he hated._

" _And you are a baby!" Darien yelled back at her, although not as loudly and definitely not as shrilly._

" _Am not!"_

" _Are too!"_

" _Am not!"_

" _Are too!"_

" _Am not! Am not! Am not! Am not! Am not!"_

" _Will you shut up?! My god, you are such a child!"_

" _Am not!"_

" _I'm warning you, Meatball Head! Stop that!"_

" _Make me!"_

 _Something flashed in Darien's eyes that Serena had never see before and so suddenly that she wasn't even aware of it until much much later, something changed between them._

 _The heat that constantly sizzled between them exploded and before Serena knew what was happening, Darien's arms came down around her shoulders and he pushed her back up against a brick wall that was somebody's seven foot high fence and his lips came down over hers, claiming her in a kiss that was surprisingly gentle but all-consuming at the same time._

 _Serena lost herself to the kiss, to her_ firstkiss _and she responded the best she'd been able given that she'd never kissed a boy before let alone the man that Darien so undeniably was._

 _Darien's hands were on her body where no one's hands had ever been before. He held her captive between his hard hot body and the hard cold wall at her back._

 _There was nothing else but Darien ad the kiss, his passion that had swept over her like a tsunami that she was now drowning in, that she was helpless to break free from._

 _And without any apparent reason Darien sudden threw himself back away from her. He stood frozen just out of her arm's reach breathing heavily and staring into her wide eyes with his own wide eyes. The expression on his face no doubt mirrored her own, stunned awe at what had just happened and how the passion had overtaken them so completely that for those few precious moment there was nothing else but the two of them and the passion that had consumed them like fire._

 _Serena didn't know how long they stood frozen staring at each other speechless. In her chest her heart was pounding in her chest, her body felt too warm and her skin felt too tight. And low in her belly there was a demanding yearning that made heat flood her face and neck._

 _It took Serena's stunned overstimulated mind a moment to realise that she was blushing!_

 _Oh god, could this get any more embarrassing?!_

" _You kissed me!" Serena gasped, her voice unintentionally accusing. She hadn't intended for her words to sound like an accusation, she hadn't intended to say anything._

" _What?!" Darien gaped at her incredulously. "You kissed me!"_

" _No I didn't! You so kissed me first!" Now this Serena was familiar with, this she knew how to do._

" _Well," Darien was visibly searching for a reply. "You kissed me back!"_

" _Did not!"_

" _Did too!"_

" _Did not!"_

" _Did too! Did too!"_

" _This is childish!" Darien threw up his arms in exasperation. "I didn't mean to kiss you!"_

" _Yes you did!"_

" _No I didn't!"_

" _Aaaahhh!" Serena cried out in her own exasperation. "Stop that!"_

" _Make me!"_

" _No!"_

" _Then I'm not going to stop! It's not like I enjoyed it anyway!"_

" _Yes you did!"_

" _No I did not!"_

" _Yes you did!"_

" _No I didn't!"_

 _Darien's eyes narrowed, but Serena doesn't see it as the warning sign that it was. She didn't know that her words were a challenge, like waving a red flag in front of a furious bull._

" _Is that so?"_

" _Yeah!"_

 _Before Serena knew what he was doing, Darien was standing right in front of her. Before she could do more than gasp, Darien's hard curled around her neck and pulled her up to meet his parted lips._

 _And his tongue was in her mouth, taking her mouth as he willed and then demanded more. His tongue mated with her own, teaching her the sensual dance of tongues that she hadn't known anything about._

 _Serena was lost to the kiss, her entire being completely focused on what he was teaching her with his passionately demanding mouth on hers and his hands on her body._

 _She'd never been kissed before now so Serena was completely unprepared for the sensual onslaught that Darien was sharing with her but she wanted it, and then she wanted more. Never in her life had she known such delicious pleasure, it was like getting a peek at heaven and then having to return to earth. It changed you forever and consumed your dreams and thoughts forever more._

 _Her body was alive in a way that it had never been before. Her heart was pounding in her chest so loudly that she could hear her heartbeat in her ears. She felt so warm, too warm and her skin tingled. Her insides buzzed like she had a live current flowing through her veins instead of blood. She was more aware of her breasts that felt heavy and kind of aching, like they were straining to be touched._

 _And low in her belly there was a liquid heat that she'd never known before. It was pulsing and vibrating and building. Serena sensed that it was building to something crucial, something that would change her forever if she embraced it._

 _And oh god did she want to embrace it._

 _Her body was alive, burning and she was yearning for the MORE more than she'd ever wanted anything in her life._

 _And it was DARIEN who was making her burn, making her yearn. Making her feel more than she ever had and making her want to feel even more._

 _And for the second time it all came to a screeching halt without any apparent reason as Darien threw himself back from her as if he'd been jerked away by some unseen force._

 _They once again just stare at each other with wide eyes and quickened breath. This time though Serena became aware of something else, something that wasn't nearly as pleasant as her first kiss had been._

 _A different kind of heat flooded her face as humiliation replaced desire. What had she been thinking? How could she have let Darien kiss her once let alone a second time? What must he be thinking about her? She was just a silly girl to him, a_ Meatball Head _. And he was Darien! So handsome and mature and so much more than she was._

 _Oh god!_

 _Unable to stand being in his presence a second more, Serena whirled and bolted, tears filling her eyes blinding her as she ran towards home. She had to get home, she had to get to her bedroom and close the door behind her. She needed the solitude and comfort of her own space._

 _Behind her Darien stared after her like he wanted to stop her but wasn't sure that he should._

And that was how it had all begun, how the sparks between them had boiled over and had reached a point that what was between them that they'd both denied for years wouldn't be denied a moment longer. It had been undeniable. They hadn't been able to fight it anymore than they could fight their need for air.

"I've missed you," Darien murmured against her neck, his lips trailing upwards towards her ear.

"I've missed you," Serena replied with a soft moan. He knew right exactly how to make her burn, to make her purr and moan and want more. So so much more.

"Are you free after school?"

"I can't." Serena gasped as Darien pulled her earlobe into his mouth and bit the soft delicate flesh ever so slightly. "I have a study night with the girls. We're spending the night at Mina's. Amy really wants us to be ready for the end of semester exams."

Not that they did a whole lot of study. They were teenage girls without direct parent supervision, of course they didn't study the entire time, but it was sweet that their parents pretended to believe that they did.

"How are your grades?" Darien asked, genially interested. Like Amy, Darien was really smart and they both took their own studies – and hers – seriously. Honestly, since things had changed between them Darien had always made sure that their time together and their relationship didn't affect her studies other than in the positive.

And since she had both Darien and Amy helping her with her studies her grades had improved, not a great deal but noticeably. Her grade average had gone from C's and D's to B's and C's, the C's being the average, but she hadn't gotten a D in over nine months which kept her parents happy and off her back which in turn gave her just that little bit extra leeway with them.

Of course, her parents thought it was all due to Amy's tutoring which was only half right. Darien deserved his half of the credit too, not that he'd ever get it.

A bonus of this was that when Serena wanted to spend more time with Darien and she needed an alibi with her parents Amy was the perfect go to. Again, Serena felt bad for lying but not half as bad as missing an opportunity to spend some time with her secret boyfriend.

"Fine." Serena told him as she ran her hand along his chin, loving the feel of his courser skin beneath her soft fingers. Skin made course by the daily shavings. Her Darien always preferred to be cleanly shaven. "I was only two marks from an A minus on my English Paper."

Her parents had loved that when she'd shown it to them the evening before. Right before she'd asked for their permission to spend Thursday night at Amy's for a study session.

Which they had of course approved without missing a beat.

Darien pulled away from her enough that he could look down into her face, beaming at her proudly.

The way Darien towered over her, his greater size, height and strength, gave Serena a thrill that did delicious things inside of her. She loved the way he was physically her opposite. She was petite and the top of her head barely came to his chin while he was tall and while thin and lean he was very well defined beneath his clothing, all hardness to her softness.

It made everything that was woman inside of her purr with feminine approval.

"Well done, Serena!" Darien really was proud of her and it made Serena beam herself, she wanted to make him proud of her again and again just so she could see that pride in his eyes again and again. "See, I knew you had it in you! All you had to do was apply yourself!"

Serena laughed happily. Maybe she would put just a little more effort into her studies. Who knew, maybe one day she would get that A and make everything in her life just as proud of her.

* * *

Serena had made it to school just in time, like literally. She'd slid into her homeroom just as the door had closed. Of course it was all thanks to Darien who'd sent her on her way well before she wanted to go, she'd still had to do the mad dash but she'd made it!

Honestly, it was shaping up to be a great day! She'd even done her homework so unless she came into contact with some really bad luck she was going to be spared the bummer that was afterschool detention.

The day passed as school hours usually did, slowly and with a great deal of boredom, but today Serena did try to pay a little extra attention in her classes, trying to take better notes than she usually did.

After school Serena joined Amy, Mina and Lita and they walked their way talking and laughing to Mina's apartment, Rei joining them along the way as she went to a different school, a private one paid for by a scholarship she'd worked hard for.

Rei's parents had died when she'd been twelve and she'd been raised from then on by her grandfather who oversaw a temple where Rei was a priestess.

Serena didn't know all that much about what actually went on at the temple but they girls were always welcome there and it was a wonderful place. Beautiful gardens and a serene environment, it was a very peaceful place for the soul. Serena loved going there even though she wasn't part of any of the religious happenings that took place there.

That was the great thing about the temple, one didn't need to be religious or a part of the temples happenings to be welcome there. All were welcome.

Serena loved Mina's place too. In fact, Serena liked the homes of all her friends even though they were vastly different from each other. Mina and Amy lived in apartments, but while Mina's was upscale thanks to the money she'd made as a child singing star – she'd given her career up a few years ago in favour of an ordinary life – Amy's was more middle upper-class. Mina's parents both worked and managed their daughter's money for her – through investments and such – and made a comfortable living and Amy's mother was a very successful surgeon at a private hospital.

Rei of course lived at the temple with a much simpler style of living. She had what she needed along with a few luxuries but otherwise her home wasn't cluttered with unneeded belongings and the general clutter that most family homes tended to accumulate.

And Lita like Serena lived in a house in the neighbouring suburb. While Serena's parents preferred the comfortable lived in family home, Lita's parents preferred the all-white stylish family home. Of course, Lita's bedroom was the exception to the house's decor, covered in posters of Lita's favourite martial artists and pictures from magazines of places she wanted to visit, it was much more Lita's style.

After making themselves an after-school snack and settling themselves in, the five of them settled into a comfortable spot in the large lavish living room that included a seven-seater cream couch and opened their books.

As usual Amy took her place next to Serena, the one with the lowest grades out of the five of them, so Serena could consult with her if and when needed. At first, when they'd started their study sessions years ago Serena had felt guilty about interrupting Amy's studying but it hadn't been long before Serena had learned that Amy actually didn't mind at all helping her with her studies, in fact Amy enjoyed helping her.

And besides, Amy's grades were so good that they couldn't really go any higher. It was like reaching the top of Everest, there was no higher left to go. This wasn't quite like that though because Amy did have higher to go as she was only in high school and Higher education was waiting for her, but in the right now she was on the top.

Amy would go far. Serena had no doubt that no matter which career path Amy decided to follow, she'd be the best in the field. She was that kind of gifted.

The hours passed comfortably, until the time came to take a break to make some dinner with Lita's guidance. Where Amy was talented in intelligence, Lita was gifted in cooking. They all helped make dinner, but it was Lita who really loved to cook and who did most of the cooking. She would often bring ingredients and without a recipe she would cook up a meal worthy of the best restaurants in town. Other times she'd stick her head in the refrigerator and make an equally amazing meal from what was there.

Tonight was one of the whatever-was-in-the-refrigerator nights. Lita took one look at what was there, and she announced that they were having chicken curry – a mild one because Serena and Mina didn't really like spicy hot food.

And of course it was amazingly delicious, and as usual there were no leftovers. There so very rarely was when Lita cooked.

They'd been finishing up the cleaning of the kitchen when Mina's parents had arrived home. They'd lovingly greeted their daughter and warmly greeted the rest of them as parents did their children's friends who they were fond of.

Leaving Mina's parents to their dinner – they'd brought takeout since they'd gotten home later than usual – the five of them had retreated to Mina's bedroom where after changing into their nightwear because it was much more comfortable – Serena was reminded that she had yet to get herself some more age-appropriate sleepwear – they'd resumed studying at Amy's insistence.

But Serena was only able to keep her mind focused on her studies for a short while before her mind began to wonder. The five of them were sitting around the room in a comfortable silence, the perfect atmosphere for studying, but Serena knew that shew as done with studying for the night.

Serena looked around the room at her friends. She loved them all like sisters and they were just as close as sisters could be. She didn't know what she'd do without them. They were such great friends, they supported her and helped her every way they could, just as Serena did with them. There wasn't anything she couldn't tell them or talk to them about.

Except for her boyfriend.

Serena hated – hated! – keeping a secret from her friends. She'd hated it from the beginning – her parents were a little easier to keep a secret from as she was a teenager and all teenagers had secrets from their parents. Not to mention that her father would most likely either have Darien arrested or murder him with his bare hands for touching his little girl.

But the girls wouldn't. They knew Darien and besides, they wouldn't betray her trust like that. She could tell them, and they wouldn't tell but as Darien had pointed out on several occasions, the more people who knew a secret the greater the chances were of it getting out.

The temptation to tell them though was hard to fight. They all loved her, they would support her.

But could she take the risk? Could she risk what she had with Darien?

It was so hard! She didn't want to keep any secrets from her friends let alone one as big as this!

That was one thing that was going to change after her birthday when the consequences of her secret relationship with a man older than her weren't so great. When she was sixteen she could safely confide in them.

Just under six weeks and there wouldn't be a need to keep her secret from her friends.

Serena leaned her head back against the wall she was leaning against. She was sitting a cushion on the floor beside the desk where Amy had her thick textbooks open from the college classes she'd started at the beginning of the academic year – Amy usually got the desk or the best study spot because of her greater number of thicker textbooks due to the advanced classes she took at the local college.

A small smile spread across her lips as she watched her friends quietly continue to study.

She loved study nights with the girls. There wasn't always a lot of studying being done but as long as their parents believed otherwise they could have study nights almost any night, even school nights. There was at least one a week, rotating between all their homes. Most weeks tended to have two, while three wasn't unheard of.

Serena couldn't help reflecting as she looked around at them that although they were as close as friends could be, they were all very different people.

Amy was highly intelligent and logical but shy and had been a little socially awkward before they'd all become friends. But Amy was fiercely loyal and had a kind gentle spirit, but she was so surprisingly strong when she had to be. She was petite like Serena herself was and she kept her dark hair on the short side. And her potential was astronomical, Amy was THAT smart. She had the potential to be anything she wanted to be. She was already taking college classes for crying out loud! She had been since the beginning of the year.

Amy was small in body but mighty in mind.

Lita however was Amy's physical opposite. Serena had often heard Lita described as an Amazon and it was pretty accurate. Lita was the tallest of them and although they were pretty close to being the same age, Lita was much more _physically_ _matured_ than the rest of them. Her long forest brown hair was always up in a ponytail with tendrils that framed her lovely face that drew attention to her forest green eyes. She even had the fiercely protective and loyal warrior's spirit to match her Amazonian body. She knew and trained in several martial arts and never hesitated to use them to protect those she cared about. But while there was a fierceness about her, there was also a gentleness, a kindness, to her that wasn't obvious at first glance.

Mina looked like a teenage model. With long blond hair – although not nearly as long as Serena's own – and light blue eyes that were always glittering with mirth and cheer, it wasn't surprising that Mina had captured so many hearts as a child and then early-teen singing star. She loved to sing and be the centre of attention so her singing career had been perfect for her. She had loved it but unlike other child stars Mina had known, Mina had known when the time had come that she'd needed to live a normal life for a while.

Mina planned to return to her singing career when she was done with her education and her normal life and with her fierce drive to succeed and her unrelenting determination, Serena had no doubt that Mina would be famous again. When she was ready.

In personality Mina was Serena's closest.

And Rei. Rei was all contradictions. Rei was as stubborn as the tide and as wilful and fierce and powerful as the flame. But she could be as calm and tranquil as a gentle summer breeze. She could meditate for hours at a time. Rei was strong and she didn't hide it. She knew what she wanted and she went after it with all the fierce single-minded determination of a mythical Fury. She was kind and compassionate but frank and fierce as well. She'd often been described as a spitfire and a lot of the time it was pretty accurate. With long black hair and eyes so dark in the right light they almost looked purple, except for when she was angry, then they looked so red like they were actually sparking. Rei was very gorgeous – she had an air around her that she was wiser than she looked that kept one from thinking of her as _pretty_. It was too mild for her.

They were all her friends. She loved them like sisters. They _were_ her sisters. She could talk to them about anything and even though she couldn't confide in them about Darien, there was something else she could ask them about.

"Does sex really hurt that bad the first time?" Serena asked out aloud to all of them, forcing herself to ignore the blush that was spreading across her face.

All four girls looked at her in shocked union then exchanged a look between them before turning their eyes back to her, looking a little startled and hesitant, as if they weren't sure that they should discuss this subject with her because she was too innocent.

If only Serena could tell them that she wasn't as innocent as she'd been a year ago.

"Why do you ask, Serena?" Amy asked slowly, hesitantly from her seat above her on the desk chair. "Is there some reason or someone behind you asking or are you just curious?"

Serena hated lying to her friends but at this point it was a drop in the bucket. No one could know about her and Darien. Not even those she trusted most.

"Just curious." Serena said with a shrug, looking down at the closed textbook in her hands. They were her friends, she could talk to them about anything, but she was still a virgin for crying out loud, she was allowed to be a little shy!

After a long moment of awkward silence, Lita answered her question honestly. "It does hurt but it's not a terrible pain. You're over it before you know it.

Serena raised her gaze to Lita's. "Really?"

"It's nothing to be concerned about, _believe me_." Lita said with a mysterious knowing smile spreading across her face as her eyes took on a far off look for a moment.

Lita was _remembering_. With fondness, a _feminine_ fondness.

Serena wondered if all of Lita's boyfriends had been _age-appropriate_. Maybe Lita would be the one to most easily accept her relationship with Darien.

After all, Lita was the most _physically mature_ of the five of them – followed closely by Rei.

They were close friends. Serena knew that Amy and herself were the only virgins of the five of them. Lita, Mina and Rei had all dated before. _Openly_ that was.

"What comes next is what makes it worth it." Rei chimed in, a feminine purr clear in _her_ tone.

"Being with a boy for the first time is something that changes you forever," Mina told her meaningfully. "It's the first most significant step towards becoming a woman."

Serena blushed for all she was worth, not at the words being said but from the _way they were being said_. Honestly, all three of them had that far off look in their eyes and a purr in their voice that made it clear that they were _remembering_.

Honestly! All she'd wanted was to know if it hurt as bad as losing one's virginity was often portrayed to be, she hadn't wanted a graphic look into her friend's love lives!

Particularly when she was in such a frustrating point in her own!

Serena blindly opened her textbook and help it up to Amy.

"Amy, could you help me with this part please?" She was so sorry for even asking and was desperate for a subject change. She didn't care what page the textbook was open too.

And judging by the bright red blush on Amy's face, Amy too was desperately welcoming the change of subject.

* * *

 **Friday**

It was always a bad day when Serena didn't see Darien at all. He hadn't been there waiting for her but she'd been expecting that as he'd texted her minutes before to let her know that he couldn't meet up with her before school because there was something important he had to do before his first class.

She'd wished him a good day even while knowing that she wasn't in for one.

As for after school, Serena had gotten detention because she'd let her mind wonder one time too many during her last class of the day and the teacher REALLY hadn't appreciated it.

It wasn't until she was climbing into bed that she heard her cell phone vibrate on the hard surface of her white bedside table.

For the first time all day, Serena felt all her stress and disappointment just fade away.

' _Where were u 2day? Did I miss u or u hav detention?'_

Serena loved that even though Darien had probably already guessed where she'd been, he'd still asked. _'Detention. I'll c u 2morrow, promise.'_

' _Usual place?'_

' _Yep. Have 2 meet girls 12.'_

' _Arcade?'_

' _Yep. U think I'd met them anywhere else? I want every second with u & I need 2 make up 2day 2 u.'_

' _Make it up 2 me, huh? Wat did u have in mind?'_ Darien's flirtatious tone came through loud and clear.

Serena sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and bit down as a zing of excitement shot through her. _'Anything u want.'_

' _1 only want u.'_

' _U have me.'_

' _& u have me. Go 2 sleep. I'll c u 2morrow. Sweet dreams.'_

' _Maybe I'll dream bout 2morrow.'_

' _U really r an impatient 1, aren't u? Go 2 sleep. 2morrow will b here soon enough. G/n. Luv u.'_

' _Luv u 2. G/n.'_

Serena returned her cell phone to her bedside table and snuggled down into her covers, hugging her pillow to her, all the while wearing a sappy happy lovesick smile on her face.

Was there any better feeling than being in love?

* * *

 **Saturday**

The summer sun was hot overhead, there wasn't a cloud in the flawless blue sky above, but the cool gentle breeze from the coast and the deep shade they were sheltered in kept them comfortably cool.

Over the past year, the two of them had become masters at finding places that they could be alone together.

This discovery of this one, one of their most regularly used secret meeting places except for the park, was curtesy of Darien and his cleverness – of his sheer determination to make-out with her at each and every opportunity that they could get.

It was genius, Serena had to admit that, and unlike some of their other secret meeting places, they had never "nearly" been caught here, and they were right under their friend's noses – or more accurately right above their heads.

They were on the roof of the Crown Arcade, shielded from outside view by the small box shaped "building" that housed the top half of the stairwell that lead onto the roof situated not far from the large industrial air-conditioning unit – the larger older kinds that were six times the size of current air-conditioning units of the same strength.

Serena didn't even mind the muted roar of the large motor that pumped cool air into the building below them. The noise actually provided a sort of cover when they talked so neither of them had to worry about being overheard.

And as an added bonus, when Serena's parents asked her where she was going or where she'd been, she could truthfully tell them the arcade – just as she had done only an hour before.

The girls were scheduled to meet her below _inside_ the arcade at noon, which was still just under an hour away, but Serena had been there since ten for a little _alone time_ with her boyfriend.

They'd made out a little at first – Serena never tired of making out with her Darien – but then they'd settled arm in arm against the wall and had taken their relaxed alone time to talk. They talked about everything and anything, all the normal couple stuff like their day and what plans they had coming up.

But they also talked about the important stuff. They shared their feelings, worries and fears, their dreams and hopes and aspirations. Serena talked about her family and the girls, she shared her memories of her past, the good and the bad and she shared her plans for the future, what she wanted to do after high school.

While Darien had no family he shared what little he could remember about his parents and what growing up in the orphanage had been like. It wasn't easy for him but he shared the pains of his past with her, the loss of his parents, and the loneliness of growing up in the orphanage. But he also shared his ambitions, his drive to one day be a doctor who never stopped _caring_ , something who helped people.

And that was one of the things that Darien wanted most out of his future, he wanted to help people, to save lives.

Serena knew the loss of his parents was a large part of that. He wanted to help prevent other children from going through what he did and as a doctor he could do that. He could save lives, he could help keep loved ones alive.

Darien loved talking about med school and what he was learning and Serena loved to hear it. She didn't understand most of it but she loved his enthusiasm and the way his voice become so lively and excited when he was talking about his chosen field.

And then he'd ask her about her studies and ask whether or not she knew what she wanted to do with her future yet. What did she want to do when high school came to an end for her?

Serena wasn't quite sure. She had a few mild interests but nothing that she was even half as excited as Darien was about his chosen field. She wanted that kind of passionate drive in her life when it came to knowing what she wanted to do with herself when she became an adult.

Her love life was easy. She knew what she wanted with her personal life, she wanted Darien, but the rest was still up in the air. She didn't know what she wanted to be. She had yet to find her place in the world, to find where she fitted in the working world. How was she going to play her part in the real world, how was she going to spend her life?

She wasn't completely aimless. She knew that she wasn't the type to be trapped in an office day after day but at the same time she didn't think she was suited for manual labour either. She would prefer something that helped people in some way but she also knew that there were so many ways to help people.

A teacher maybe? Helping educate the future generations. It was a possibility.

She wasn't even sixteen yet. One good thing about her age was that she had time to find her place in the world she had yet to step into.

Today though, there was something that Serena wanted to talk about. She wanted to get it off her chest, to talk to someone about it.

"I hate lying to my friends." Serena told him solemnly as she lay against his side, his arm wrapped around her. "I mean I know why we have to keep us a secret but it doesn't make it any easier lying to the girls."

"I know Serena, I don't like you lying to them either." He sighed regretfully. "But if we want to be together we have too. Not everyone will understand our love."

Silence stretched between them for a long moment as they both considered the consequences of being found out before she turned sixteen. "I will never understand how something that feels so right can be so wrong. I know my heart, I know I love you."

Darien tenderly kissed the top of her head. "I love you too. You know that. And this is wrong according to the law and those laws are there for a reason."

"I know. I know." Serena huffed, a little annoyed. They'd had this conversation before. "So young girls like me aren't taken advantage of." She pulled away from him enough that she could partly turn to look up into his face. "Even if they really really want to be taken advantage of."

The faintest hint of a smile touched Darien's solemn lips and he reached up and caressed her cheek. "That's the thing. The law says that you shouldn't feel that way."

"Hey!" Serena objected before he went any further down _that_ road. "There's no law against feeling that way, only acting on it. I know, I looked it up."

"Did you now?"

"I did. And I get it, I do. We have to wait, but does that mean that I can't want you? That I can't yearn for your touch?"

"No, it doesn't."

Serena gently took hold of his hand on her check and she lowered it until his hand rested above her heart between her breasts. "I know my heart. This isn't just some fleeting teenage crush. _I love you_. That's my gift. Amy is really smart, Lita can cook, Mina can sing, Rei is a force of nature and I know my heart."

"Do you now? And what's my gift?"

Serena grinned playfully. "You mean besides me? You Darien, your gift is your compassion. You care. I know you don't let many see it, but you care so much. You care about me and Andrew, you care about my friends and you care about people. That's who you are. That's the man I love. That's why you distance yourself from people because you care that much that its all too easy for you to be hurt."

Darien's eyes soften until they almost break her heart. The way he was looking at her with such tender wonder made her feel so cherished and loved.

"You are so right, Serena." Darien raised both hands and cradled her head in his hands as if she were the most precious thing in his world. " _You_ are my greatest gift. My Serena." And he kissed her so gently that it was barely more than a whisper of a touch. "I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you."

Serena gave him a small reassuring smile. "I'm not going anywhere. Wild horses couldn't drag me away from you. I'm the one person in your life you never have to worry about losing because as long as you want me I will be yours."

Serena didn't mind telling him again and again that he wasn't going to lose her. He'd lost his parents at such a young age and it was his greatest fear. Losing the one person he loved the most.

"One day when your older, you might feel differently." Darien whispered to her sadly, but acceptingly – as though he'd already accepted it as fact.

Serena wasn't going to tell him that that wasn't going to happen. They'd had this conversation before. Time would just have to tell the tale.

With a small loving smile on her lips, Serena threw her leg over his so that she was sitting on his thighs, facing him. His hands dropped to his lap as he wanted her intently, waiting to see what she'd do.

"Why do you worry so much about the future when we have the now?" Serena asked with a tilt of her head. He was so focused on where they were going over where they were now. Serena understood it, it was how he'd copped with his lonely childhood. He'd looked forward to what he'd wanted in his future instead of focusing on his now.

But now that he had everything that he wanted, Serena was trying to help him learn to live in the moment just a little bit. The way that he was trying to help her focus just that little bit more on her future.

It was one of the many ways that made them a perfect match. It was one of the many ways that they could help each other grow.

It was funny, the way Darien tended to get so hung up on her age but when she was with him she felt so much more mature and womanly. He made her better, he made her want to grow up, he made her want to have more direction in her life.

And Serena knew that she made Darien better too. She saw it in him every time they were together. He was more alive, more hopeful for the future beyond his career. While Darien made her focus a little more on her own career path, she helped Darien focus a little more on what he wanted for his personal life in the future.

They were each other's future. Maybe one day when they were living that future Darien would finally believe that she was his for life. Her heart was his for always.

"And right now," Serena purred softly. "I'm sitting on your lap and we're alone. And I don't have to leave for school in ten minutes."

Interest lit up his eyes and Darien stroked his large warm hands up her thighs and curled them around her waist. Using his hold on her he pulled her closer to him until his forehead was against hers. He looked into her eyes with his deep dark blue ones, the shade of dark blue that remined her of the night sky, twinkling like a deep dark blue pool filled with a thousand diamonds.

How easily she could get lost in his depthless soulful eyes.

"So, what are we going to do?" Darien asked her with suggestive playfulness.

"We could talk some more," Serena suggested coyly.

"We could," Darien said with a tilted nod of his head. "Or we could make out some more."

"Yes, let's do that."

And without any more encouragement, Darien sealed his lips over hers and Serena was lost to the passion.

* * *

 **One Hour Later . . .**

"DON'T CALL ME MEATBALL HEAD, YOU UPTIGHT JERK IN AN UGLY GREEN JACKET!"

Every patron in the Crown Arcade winced, many of them wondering if the windows were going to shatter from the high-pitched squeal that left the ears of those closest to Serena ringing.

"OW!" Darien cried out exasperatedly. "How many times do I have to tell you to keep the decibels down, _you meatball head!_ You're sending me deaf!"

"THAT'S NOT MY VOICE, YOU JERKY JERK JERK! THAT'S OLD AGE!"

Mina turned to Andrew, her secret crush, and rolled her eyes at the bickering pair. "You know, it might be worth your while to have a sound proof booth installed here."

" _Jerky jerk jerk_? What are you, five?" Darien threw back at her disbelievingly. "And there is nothing wrong with my jacket!"

"Nothing wrong with it?!" Serena gaped with the dramatic incredulously only achievable by a teenage girl. "I'm surprised that it hasn't gotten you arrest with all the people you assault with the sight of it!"

"Arrested by who?! The fashion police?! What's next, you baby?! Are you going to call me a stupid head?"

"Well, it would fit, because you are a _stupid head_!"

"That's it." Darien threw his hands in the air as if he couldn't believe her. "I'm out of here before you stick your tongue out at me! See' ya later, Andrew."

As Darien walked out the door Serena stuck her tongue out to his back.

In union, Andrew and the four girls dropped their heads into their hands and shook their heads.

They had to do something about those two.

* * *

 **Sunday**

It had been such a long day, a good day, but a _rrrrreeeaaallllyyyyy long_ day. Although it would've been SO much better a day if she'd been able to see Darien, even once, sometime during the day.

Serena breathed out a long deep breath and fell backwards onto her bed, landing in the middle on top of the white duvet and sinking into the welcoming softness that was her bed.

Today being Sunday, her parents had taken her and Sammy on a "family outing". Ever since Serena could remember, Sunday had been "family day", a day to spend with family. Sometimes they stayed home and did a family project – like paint a mural wall like the south wall of the den that they had done two years before – or played games – _Monopoly_ could go all day and well into the night, as it had countless times before.

And sometimes they went on outings, like they'd done today. Today's outing had been hiking up in the mountains, and not the nearest mountains either – that were still fifty miles away. No, her parents had decided that they had to go hiking in the National Park that was over a hundred miles away!

Her parents had insisted that it was good for their children to "connect with nature." Which had led to one of those rare times that Serena had been in silent agreement with her brother – they had even exchanged one of those silent looks between them that had perfectly communicated their mutual feelings to each other.

Which had basically been a silently groaned _'oh man!'_

Serena hadn't particularly minded the hiking – she could run all the way to school in the mornings when it was required of her. Although, strangely it hadn't been required of her _all week_ – but when combined with the two hundred miles of travelling in which she was stuck in the backseat with her _brother_ – who as always had made it his life's mission to be _her life's_ number one nuisance – two hundred miles had felt like a thousand miles!

It had been a long day – a long week – and right now Serena wanted nothing more than to connect in some form to Darien.

Tired – as well as stiff and sore from the day's activities – Serena reached into the pocked of her denim shorts, pulled out her cell phone and opened the text message program.

' _This has 2 ave been 1 of longest days of my life! Am FINALLY home. How was yr day?'_

Serena had no idea what Darien had done today or what he was doing now at – Serena glanced at the tiny time displayed in the top right corner of her cell phone – 10:04 pm at night but he usually replied to her text messages and calls pretty quickly. Unless he was in class or something like that, which given the time of night it was a safe bet that he wasn't.

Right now Darien was most likely at home, reading or studying or something like that. Darien was a _very_ devoted to his studies, which was probably one of the reasons why he was so smart and at the top of _every one_ of his classes.

According to Darien, anyway. She knew he was very smart, but she had no way of knowing just _how_ smart. It was the same way that Serena knew that Darien had money – she knew he was _finically independent_ but she had no way of knowing just how much so he was.

Not that Serena cared about either in the slightest. She didn't care how smart or how much money Darien had. She'd love him just the same if he were dumb and poor.

What did intelligence and wealth matter in the grand scheme of things, especially when weighed against love and devotion and happiness?

In her hand her cell started to vibrate, pulling wandering mind back into the present and drawing her attention back to the little screen.

' _Uneventful & dull w/o u.'_

Serena immediately felt a stab of sadness and sympathy for him. She intentionally mentioned her family as little as possible around Darien because he had none. He had _no_ family; he'd been an orphan since his parents had died in a car accident when he'd been six years old. Darien had been alone ever since.

It was hard for him to talk about, even with her and they could talk about almost everything and anything. It was painful for Darien and it was something that Serena found difficult to relate too and so it made her feel helpless and awkward.

All she could do was comfort him by reassuring him that she was there for him, that she was never going to leave him, that he had her.

He didn't even had many friends. In fact, as far as Serena knew the only friend Darien had was Andrew.

But who couldn't like Andrew? He was one of those guys everyone couldn't help but like. He was easy going and never seemed to be without his large jolly grin. _A good old boy_ , was the term and it suited Andrew to a T.

' _I wish I could be w/ u now.'_

' _So do I.'_

' _My window is open.'_

' _Grr. Don't tempt me.'_

' _Come over & I'll do so much more than tempt u.'_

' _Naughty girl. Brave on the phone, aren't u?'_

' _Maybe, but I'm not a tease. The invitation stands.'_

' _Do u have any idea wat yr father would do 2 me if he found me in his little girl's bedroom this time of night?!'_

' _The same thing he'd do 2 u if he found u in his little girl's room any time of day.'_

' _I knew it. U r trying to get me killed, aren't u?!'_

Serena turned her face into her pillow to muffle her giggle. _'But wat a way 2 go . . . .'_

' _Sigh. Wat am I going 2 do with u?'_

' _I've got a few suggestions.'_

' _Oh, really. Like wat?'_

Turning bright red, but feeling bold in the dim solitary of her room, Serena decided that maybe it was time to put her plan into action, to take their little late night text conversation up to an eleven.

She could be that brave on the phone, right?

' _Hello, r u still there?'_

' _Just considering sum 'suggestions'._

' _R u going 2 let me in on any of them?'_

Did she dare? This was the perfect opportunity to put her plan into action.

Bitting down on her lip, Serena decided to take her chance and quickly pressed send before she lost her nerve.

' _I'm bout 2 take a shower, u could join me. Wash my back. I'm really dirty, I need to really soap up.'_

The seconds ticked by, but no response. With a shrug, Serena supposed that Darien must be in the middle of something and he'd reply when he could, and she took the time to go into the bathroom to brush her teeth.

The buzzing sound of her cell phone vibrating on the white basin alerted her to an incoming text message just as she finished rinsing.

Return her toothbrush to its holder, Serena picked up her phone.

' _Do u have any idea wat u r doin to me?! U r torturing me Serena!'_

' _Just like u do every time u STOP?! FYI – sore point!'_ By this time Serena had settled herself in her bed, but she wasn't at all sleepy. She was too focused on the direction this conversation had taken.

' _U think that it's easy for me?!'_

A little devil climbed onto Serena's shoulder right before she replied. Hitting send, Serena buried her face in her pillow, giggling uncontrollably.

' _No. I think it's very very hard 4 u.'_

' _Serena! OMG! Do u kiss yr mother with that mouth?'_

' _No. I kiss U with this mouth.'_ It was time to get this conversation back on course. She had a plan and now was the perfect time to start putting it into action. _'I touch you with these hands that r slowly making their way down my body. . .'_

' _I'm putting the phone down now. G/N Serena.'_

"Oh no you don't." Serena whispered to the little illuminated screen.

' _Ok. So u don't want to hear about wat I'm doin now?'_ It was an intentionally blasé sounding statement.

A long beat and then the inevitable reply.

' _What r u doin now?'_

Serena laughed out loud, in that moment not caring if any of her family heard her delight. She could practically hear Darien saying that aloud in her mind, all serious and not wanting to know but at the same time helpless to do anything else but ask.

' _I'm sucking on my lower lip pretending it's yrs, sinking my teeth into the soft flesh just a little, the same way u do . . . my hand is rubbing small circles across my flesh. Oh, it feels so good!'_

' _Where?'_

' _I wish u were here . . .'_

' _Where's yr hand?'_

' _Well, I'm holding my cell in 1.'_

' _& the other?!'_

' _Is busy rubbing.'_

' _Yes, I got that. Where?!'_

Serena rolled over onto her belly and buried her face in her pillow in attempt to muffle her laughter and delighted giggles at Darien's obvious frustration. Her parents were just across the hall in their room, and her father slept as lightly as a guard dog. Not that he'd be asleep yet, it was too early even for her has-been-a-good-boy-all-his-life father.

' _It's not my hand touchin me, it's yrs.'_

' _& my hand is touchin u where?!'_

' _It's yr hand. Where would u like it 2 b?'_

' _Y r killin me.'_

' _I haven't even got started. Where? Or should I say g/n & go on w/o you?'_

Serena couldn't believe she was doing this. Playing this hot sexy game with her boyfriend. What would her mother say if she knew? What would her father _do_?

But they didn't and Serena was really enjoying herself. She felt so powerful, so sexy and mature.

Her parents didn't know and it was harmless as long as they didn't, right? So what was the harm in a little textsex with her boyfriend? If Darien had his way it was the only kind of sex they would be having in the next five weeks.

' _Just wait til I get my hands on you, you little minx! U won't b so brazen torturing me then!'_

' _Wanna bet?'_

' _I want u.'_

' _Really?'_

' _Really.'_

' _Again, my window is wide open.'_

' _Yr father would KILL me. Do u really want a dead boyfriend?'_

' _Is that all that's stopping u?'_

' _No.'_

' _I could cum 2 u.'_

' _U look like an angel, but u r really a deviless, aren't u? 'Cum.' U sent that on purpose!'_

' _Duh.'_

' _Didn't yr mother ever warn u bout what happens 2 little girls who tease grown men?'_

' _Yeah. She warned me that they get eaten.'_

' _She did not!'_

' _Did 2.'_

' _Did not!'_

' _Did 2!'_

' _I'm not doin this.'_

' _Really? Coz I have written proof that u r. But if u r tired of this, u can always do me . . .'_

' _U don't give up, do u? It's 1 of the things I luv bout u.'_

' _Really? Wat else do u luv bout me?'_

' _Sigh. 2 many things to list over the phone. Get some sleep my sweet brave temptress Serena. Only 5 more weeks.'_

' _An eternity.'_

' _Only to the young.'_

' _Hey! I'm not exactly holding a rattle here!'_

' _No, only sleeping in pink bunny pjs. Aren't u?'_

' _No!'_

' _Yes, u r. Don't pout. I luv yr pink bunny pjs.'_

' _U could come take them off me . . .'_

' _U truly never give up, do u? Go 2 sleep knowing just how very tempted I am to take u up on yr offer. I want u, never doubt that. But u know y we cnt.'_

' _I know U won't.'_

' _Lol. So impatient, aren't u luv? Be patient. Yr birthday will "come" soon enough.'_

' _I luv you.'_

' _I luv you. G/n my sweet Serena. Dream of me.'_

' _Always. G/n my love.'_

Serena settled beneath the covers, the first real womanly smile she'd ever had plastered on her face. She had done it! She'd actually started her plan to wear Darien down so that maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to break him and not have to wait until her sixteenth birthday.

One week down. Five to go.

The weeks to come just might get really interesting.

* * *

 **Chapter 2 is a mess - so many ideas too few pages - but hopefully it will be posted soon!**


	3. Chapter 2 - Week 5

**Hi Everyone!**

 **I know its been a while, but I'm still here. Still writing. In the next 4 to six weeks I will be trying to update all of my still-in-progress works, so please keep an eye out for those.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Six Weeks**

 **Week 5**

* * *

 **Monday**

For the first time in three years, Serena went out of her way to avoid running into her Darien. She'd had no choice, if she ran into Darien she was afraid that she'd lose her nerve or worse, Darien would be able to read her day's plans on her face.

Serena rose early from bed, showered and dressed and was out the door – after making her own lunch and leaving a note for her mother explaining that she'd left early – before her parents or her brother were out of bed.

A true first. The only time in her life that she'd ever been up before either of her parents – her father was a natural born early riser, usually getting up before seven am every day, even on weekends! – had been Christmas morning when she'd been a little girl. She'd been up before the sun then.

After leaving home, Serena had then purposefully taken a different route to school – the long way around – one that she'd never taken before, all the way on the lookout for a drop-dead gorgeous upperclassman with raven black hair wearing an ugly green jacket that he had some inexplicable attachment too.

Serena arrived at school so early that the front gates hadn't even been unlocked yet, which was usually done by the first arriving faculty member – or so she'd heard. She'd never been the first one to school before, so she really didn't know the school's opening procedure.

After ten agonisingly slow minutes later, the vice principle finally arrived, unlocking the front gates and allowing the few early students awaiting entrance onto the grounds.

Serena knew exactly what she had to do, what she was _going_ to do. She'd researched everything on her phone last night and she knew where she had to go and what she had to do.

But no one, not even her friends, not Darien, could know. The girls couldn't know because she had to protect the secret that was her and Darien's relationship and she couldn't tell Darien yet because . . . .

Well, she was just too damn embarrassed! Serena didn't know why. If she told Darien what she was doing and why, she had little doubt that he would not only drive her there and help her, but he'd insist on paying.

That was a funny thing with her, for what reason Serena had no idea. Darien had money. She knew he was rich – not that she cared in the least, he could be homeless and she'd love him no less. And Darien loved spending money on her, although Serena had managed to get him to agree to not go overboard, just stick with the reasonably priced gifts boyfriends typically gifted to their girlfriends, which Serena didn't mind so much.

But on the other hand, Darien was alone, he had no one to spend his money on. Spoiling her seemed to please him and that was all she wanted, to make Darien happy, even if in the beginning, before she'd convinced him to reduce the amount he spent on her gifts, it had made her feel uncomfortable.

But then again, it had made Darien happy and god knew he needed more happiness in his life.

Anyway, Serena wanted to do this today herself. It was important to her. Maybe on some level she hoped that it would make Darien see her in a more grown-up light.

It was all part of her secret fear that one day Darien would wake up and realise that she wasn't _woman enough for him_ , that she was too immature – just a silly teenage girl with a crush – and he'd leave her.

That Serena couldn't take. Secretly, in her girl's heart, she dreamed of one day marrying Darien Shields. It was a dream she'd never speak of aloud, but it was always there, ever present ever hopeful. She wanted to be Darien's in ALL ways, even someday be Darien's wife.

Oh, how she dreamed of that!

But it seemed like such an unreachable dream. Like even speaking of it would risk everything she had with Darien now.

As the school day began and the day wore on, her impatience only continued to build. The clock never seemed to be ticking away fast enough, the day seeming to drag on relentlessly. She couldn't pay any attention in her classes, although she'd hidden a grin when her teacher had walked into the classroom and had actually done a double take at the sight of her sitting at her desk – on time – with her books in front of her waiting for class to begin.

The girls had noticed her impatience that by lunch had built to the point that she couldn't sit still at all, but Serena had dodged their probing questions and forced herself to ignore their obvious concern for her. She was careful not to lie to any of them – she really did hate lying when necessary even though it was a teenager's prerogative – as she knew it all came from their worry for her at what they no doubt saw as increasingly out-of-character behaviour.

Finally – FINALLY! – the final bell rang, and the school day was FINALLY over. Serena was out of her seat like a shot, having been devotedly counting down the last twenty minutes, and after dumping all her books and anything else she didn't need to take home with her tonight – sadly that _didn't_ include her homework – she set off, moving briskly while forcing herself not to run. She didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention.

Serena walked with her head down as it felt like everyone's eyes were on her, wanting to know her secret.

After four buses and about two miles taken at a hurried pace, Serena was there. Finally. She very quickly ducked inside and was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

She'd made it, and as far as she knew, no one had seen her. No one knew where she was or what she was doing.

She's made it! She'd made it to the free clinic! She could do this! It would no doubt be awkward and embarrassing, but she was determined not to leave without a prescription for birth control pills.

Three hours and one hell of a lecture later Serena exited the clinic with prescription in hand.

 _That_ had been terrible! The questions, the lecture, the do-this, don't-do-this, the are-you-this, have-you-ever-that? Talk about trying to cram too much information in all at once.

And the questions! Common sense had told her that there would be some health-related questions but not that many! Had she ever had a blood clot? Etc. Etc.

And then on top of all that she had to watch out for this and for that, a whole list of symptoms that luckily for her were listed in of the pamphlets she'd crammed into her school pack.

Honestly, just how dangerous were these things anyway? They were _birth control pills!_ What had they been trying to do?! Scare the living daylights out of her?

They'd half succeeded. Was sex really _THAT_ big a deal?

To her parents, _maybe_ , but overall?

Luckily, she'd been given a whole heap of information that also came in the form of brochures, booklets and fact sheets that she could go over at her own pace.

Drawing in a deep breath, Serena forced it all out of her mind – for now – and instead turned her focus on the next step. She had the prescription, one that would last her twelve months – not all at once, but she had refills enough for twelve months.

Next step was to get the prescription filled at a pharmacy.

Which just happened to be just down the street. She remembered passing one on her way to the free clinic.

It was a good thing that Serena didn't rely on her allowance from her parents so much anymore. She still got her allowance from her parents – the same amount she'd gotten when she was thirteen – but compared to the money she'd saved up from past summer jobs, it was change. Surprisingly she'd managed to save up a nice amount of money – not Darien nice – but for a fifteen-year-old girl, it was nice. It gave her a small amount of freedom.

Such as being able to purchase birth control pills without having to get the money from her parents.

If her parents – more specifically her _father_ – ever found the pills, he'd lock her in her room until she was thirty and drain her savings account.

Her mother, on the other hand, would most likely sit her down for a very uncomfortable "talk". But whether her mother would tell her father was another story.

Drawing in yet another deep breath and giving a silent reassurance to herself that she was almost done, Serena headed for the pharmacy, already plotting her course home in her head.

Four buses there and four buses back.

* * *

Serena managed to get home right on curfew, which had saved her from a lecture or reprimand, but not from her father's icy glare on her way upstairs to her bedroom, her newly acquired birth control pills and all the information that came with it was thankfully safely concealed in her school bag.

If her father saw it, Serena would be grounded for life and Darien would be killed.

"Serena, your dinner!" Her mother called after her as Serena bolted up the stairs.

"Thanks mum! But I'm not hungry! I need a shower!" Serena called down to her mother without stopping on her hurry to her room.

A story below, in union her parents and her brother exchanged alarmed glances.

Since when did Serena pass up her dinner?

* * *

Serena didn't have a lock on her bedroom door – her father had never allowed it – and for the first time in the life she wished that she did, but she was a teenager and she knew how to get around such things.

After dumping her backpack on her bed, Serena took her chair from her desk and wedged it on an angle against her door beneath the doorhandle, effectively blocking anyone from entering her room.

Now, she had a lot to do and if she didn't want to be found out by her parents – or her brother who would delight in telling her parents to get her in trouble.

Serena settled herself on her bed and dumped the contents of her backpack out onto her bed. She quickly divided her textbooks and notebooks out from the information given to her at the clinic, and of course the actual birth control pills.

First, she needed to read _all_ the information and the box so she was well informed; she had to get this right because the consequences could and would be far more than she was willing to pay at this time in her life.

And afterwards, Serena then had to find a place to hide her pills. Although her father very rarely entered her room – when he did it was usually to fix something or assemble a new piece of furniture when she was out – but her mother entered freely all the time, cleaning, getting her laundry, that kind of thing.

Serena mainly did a lot of that – except the laundry – herself, but with her mother some habits died hard. Serena loved her mother and her mother loved her and loved taking care of her children, so Serena didn't yet have the heart to do anything that risked putting a stop to that just yet.

The last thing Serena wanted was for her mother to feel that she wasn't needed in her life. The day would come no doubt that the day would come when her mother would realise that she was growing up and didn't need her _as much_ , but Serena would always make sure that her mother knew that she did need her mother in her life.

The information was pretty much what they'd told her at the clinic, don't take if _this_ or watch out for _that_. Remember to _this_ , and so on.

Okay, first things first. Serena had to decide what time during her day would be the best time to take them, a time that would assure that she could and would take them the same time every day.

Mentally, Serena ran through her usual day, taking both her week days and weekend days into account, and in the end she concluded that while her days, afternoons and evenings did vary, most of her mornings were the same.

So, mornings would be the most practical. Before school. That would be easy enough. Even when she stayed over at the girls she could hide one in her stuff. They were certainly small enough. And even when she was running late, how long did it take to swallow a tiny pill?

And as she wasn't used to taking them, she was going to need a something to remind her. Which again was easy enough.

Her cell phone had an alarm program that had assorted options, so it was just a matter of setting an alarm that would go off every day at the same time.

With that done, Serena gathered up all the information she'd been given and hide them at the bottom of the bottom drawer of her desk before she turned to the real problem.

Where was she going to hide the actual pills? There was no way her mother wouldn't know what they were even if she took them out of the box.

They would stick out if she kept them in her room, so her bathroom was the most logical place.

Serena desperately looked around her bathroom. Her mother did clean her bathroom out a couple of times a week even though she did keep it clean, not _tidy_ but clean, and that meant that her mother was often in her bathroom.

But her mother didn't go through her stuff. Her mother respected her privacy. So as long as Serena didn't make it too obvious or leave them lying around, then it should be fine.

And then Serena's eyes fell on the little baby pink and white stripped square shaped zip up toiletry bag she used to keep her _feminine products_ in. It was something that she even took to the girl's place with her when she stayed the night just in case nature hit. But normally it sat on the basin, so it was in plain sight, but it was unlikely that her mother would ever go into it.

So, her pills were hidden, and she had a reminded alarm set on her cell phone to remind her every day. She'd also read all the information she'd been given and had committed the most important of it to memory.

Okay, so starting from tomorrow morning, she was on birth control pills. She was on _birth control_. She was preparing her body for what was to come, but as much as Serena wanted to be intimate with Darien – _she loved him –_ was she still prepared to go through with her plan? Did she have the nerve and the confidence to go through with it?

And what if she did but it didn't matter? What if there were other reasons Darien had for abstaining, other reservations that she didn't know about that? Reasons that weren't as simply overcome as turning a year older?

She loved Darien so much, she wanted to be intimate with him and as far as Serena knew, Darien wanted to be intimate with her, it was just the things that were outside of their control that had him holding back – the law, her age, her father and so on.

At least Serena hoped it was just those things.

After removing her chair from where it was blocking her bedroom door, she quickly showered and changed into clean pyjamas – again noting to herself that she needed more age appropriate sleepwear – and then Serena settled into bed. It had been a long day, both physically and mentally and she was tired. She needed to get some sleep because the week had just begun.

And in the end all that mattered was that Darien and her were in love. She had to trust that.

As sleep closed in on her, Serena's last thought was that maybe she really was growing up.

* * *

 **Tuesday**

Fifteen minutes after her wake-up alarm had sounded, for the first time a different alarm sounded from her cell phone.

Serena looked down at her cell, in the middle of tying up her school shoes, momentarily startled at hearing the different melody coming from her cell phone. For a moment she was baffled at why an alarm was going off – her mind still a little asleep – but then it hit her.

Her birth control pills. It was time to take the very first one.

Taking only a moment to make sure that her bedroom door was closed, Serena fished her birth control pills out of their hiding place and popped the small white pill into her mouth.

At the same time Serena couldn't help but realise that this could easily become very tiresome in the long run, but it was a necessary evil, one that in the end – in less than six weeks – it would all be worth it.

She hoped.

* * *

Unfortunately, even though Serena left home early – to the shock of her family – she still ended up being late for school. But oh boy, the detention was _so_ worth it.

Darien had been waiting for her at their usual spot, but this morning his good morning kisses had been much more . . . _vigorous_ than usual.

Apparently between not seeing him the day before and working him up a little too much Sunday night, in order to pay her back just a little for teasing him, Darien had decided to make her burn hotter than he usually did of a morning – not that Serena minded at all.

Darien was her addiction. She could never get enough of him and if he wanted to make her want him by adding more fire to their make-out sessions, then as far as Serena was concerned, he could bring it on.

And she'd been left wanting. She usually was left wanting more, but this time it had been different. She hadn't just been left wanting more, she'd been left _wanting_. This time had been different because Serena knew what she wanted, and her body definitely knew what it wanted, and what both her mind and her body wanted was to relieve the yearning by not stopping until the both of them were in heaven.

But still Darien refused to give the more to her, sticking steadfastly to his morally driven resolve that they wait for her birthday, but at the same time he sure didn't mind fanning the flame.

Five weeks was way too long to wait. It was going to be a _vvveeerrryyy_ long five weeks, but once Serena started putting her plan into action, it was going to become a very long time for him too.

She's make sure of it. She wasn't going to be the only one tormented.

And as usual of their morning interludes, they were out of time far too soon. Serena had bolted the rest of the way to school like the hounds of hell had been on her heels, but she'd still been late and had earned herself a detention.

But still, it was _so_ worth it.

And because of Darien's heated playing, Serena spent most of her day's classes and detention daydreaming about him and what they were waiting five weeks for. She didn't have much to go on being as inexperienced as she was, but she'd read enough books and seen enough movies to at least have _something_ to work with, even if it was barely above PG13+.

Darien knew exactly where to put his hands and his mouth to make her burn the hottest. How quickly she became melting mush in his arms. Honestly, she was so easy for him. If she hadn't loved him, her female pride would've been disgusted with her.

Did Darien even know what he did to her? Did he know just how much she wanted him, how hotly she burned for him? The pleasure he gave her just by touching her was enough to make her go supernova, but at the same time it was never enough, she was always left wanting more. Oh, so so much _more_.

The teacher rose from his desk, announcing that detention was over – finally – bringing a secretive smile to Serena's lips.

Detention was over – at last – and unless something had held up Darien, then they might just be able to spend some time together – not as much as when she didn't have detention but hey, they'd work with what they had.

* * *

In all her life, Serena never imagined that she'd find heaven on the roof of the arcade, her favourite hangout place since she'd been old enough to venture from home without her parents in tow.

But here she was, lying on a blanket on the roof of the Arcade, her head pillowed by Darien's rolled up ugly green jacket – it made one hell of a comfortable pillow though, and the best part was that it was under her head so she didn't have to look at it – beneath Darien's hard lean body as they enjoyed the time-honoured teenage tradition known as making out.

Serena loved making out with him, especially when he was on top. There was something about having his body looming over her, a portion of his weight keeping her in place, that made her insides purr like nothing else. His hands roaming freely over her clothed body as his lips and tongue paid homage to her mouth . . . and her neck . . .

She also loved the feel of him beneath her hands just as much as she loved his hands on her body. Darien never seemed to mind her exploring his body as she pleased, running her hands threw his hair, over his shoulders, down his back and up his chest.

And unlike him, Serena had no hesitations when it came to sliding her hands under his clothes to touch his bare flesh.

Serena loved the way he flinched when she ran her nails semi-gently down his hard perfectly defined abs and flat belly, over his rock-hard chest through his chest hair that was courser than any on her own body.

And add to that, his heat and scent wrapped around her like a warm security blanket, taking her so far into heaven that sometimes she wondered if there was any way back.

This was her favourite addiction. She could never get enough, she always wanted more with such an intensity that intimate moments with him often overrun her dreams, not to mention her daydreams.

And normally, her mind and her body were completely focused on Darien and what he was doing to her, but unfortunately today there was something on her mind that she had to get out so that she could return to fully enjoying what they were currently doing.

Serena felt compelled to tell him and not even his hands and mouth could fully distract her.

"There's something I have to tell you." Serena muttered reluctantly into his hair.

Darien, who was currently nibbling on her neck, only raised his head enough to allow him to mutter, "Tell me what?"

"I'm on the pill," Serena blurted out before she could lose her nerve.

Darien froze over her, going as still and as rigid as a board. After a long moment, which Serena spent holding her breath, he pulled back enough to look into her eyes.

Serena was a little concerned about his reaction. She'd expected a reaction, just not _this_ one.

Darien looked _strained_.

"Serena-."

Just from his _strained_ tone, Serena knew what he was going to say. "Don't." She warned in her sternest voice. "Don't you dare. What? Did you really think that I wasn't going to get on the pill?"

Okay, so she'd just ruined the mood, but it had had to be done. Besides, they were also out of time. After school they allowed themselves just one hour to be together. Any longer and their absences would be noticed by their friends.

Darien extended his arms, raising himself so that his weight was lifted completely off of her and he was as far away from her as he could get without getting up off of her.

Serena had to wonder why he was being so weird about this. He had to have known that she'd do _something_ like this, do something to prepare for what was coming.

She was serious about her choice and she was going to take it seriously and taking serious steps to prepare for it was part of it. Surely her Darien must have realised that.

He didn't think that she'd leave it all up to him, did he? That wasn't who she was. She didn't leave _all_ the responsibility to someone else. She took responsibility for her own actions and for her own body.

"I didn't know you were going on the pill." Darien squeaked before clearing his throat so that the next time he spoke his voice was steadier. Not _steady_ but _steadier_. " _I_ was going to take care of the protection."

Serena narrowed her eyes, not understanding. "You still can. But the pill is the most effective form of protection."

"And one of the most likely to be discovered by your parents." Darien pointed out, an edge to his voice.

Ah, so that was it. Darien _really_ was terrified of her father, her overprotective shotgun-totting father. Not that her father owned a gun, it was just that he was _that_ homicidal when it came to his little girl.

Darien had never actually met her father, but he'd heard the stories about the man, about how postal he went when it came to his little girl's wellbeing.

Serena couldn't help it, she actually giggled at him. Her father was half of Darien's size and yet Darien feared her father like he was seven feet tall and a homicidal body builder.

Darien narrowed his eyes on her, not at all pleased at being laughed at. "It isn't funny! Do you know what your father will do to us both if he finds those pills?!"

Serena couldn't help it, she couldn't stop giggling. "You don't think I've thought of that even though my father never goes into my room?" She gasped for air between fits of laughter, so she could get the words out. "My mother might find them, but she won't show them to my father. Besides, there's other reasons for taking birth control pills. They can be taken to regulate a girl's cycle. I tell Dad that and he won't bring up the subject _ever again_."

Fortunately, by the end of her explanation, her laughter had subsided enough that she could talk normally.

"And neither will I." Darien stated, just like that.

Serena was sent into another fit of giggles.

"Are you laughing at me?" Darien demanded, his expression serious but his eyes were playful.

"Yep." Serena said from beneath him.

"Why?"

"Because you are so clueless about girl things."

"Is that so?" His eyes narrowed, but the playfulness remained, although it did take on a heated glint.

"Yep."

"And here I was thinking that I knew your _girl things_ quite well . . ."

"You do."

"Well then," Darien regarded her with a predatory look on his face, one that Serena hadn't seen before. "Since you're _getting ready_ , maybe _I_ should do what I can to get us both ready . . ."

And he carefully lowered his weight back down onto her, only this time moving fully on top of her, supporting some of his weight on his elbows but letting her feel more of his weight than he ever had before, letting her feel more of _him_ than she ever had before.

Then Darien cupped her side with one large strong hand and slowly ran it down the side of her body all the way to her thigh. From there it curled around the back of her thigh, just below her behind and with no more warning what-so-ever, he pulled on her thigh and with an adjustment of his pelvis, he was laying between her now spread legs.

Serena's eyes flew wide and her teeth sunk into her bottom lip in a desperate effort to keep in her guttural moan.

For the first time, they were touching _intimately_ , more so than Darien had ever allowed before.

If not for their clothes, they would be in the perfect position to do what Serena wanted to do most.

Serena didn't get what had made him suddenly loosen his hold on his pesky morals but right now she didn't much care. He was pressing himself into the centre heat of her and it was the most delicious and sinful – but at he same time the most right – thing Serena had ever known. It was all liquid heat and pleasure and the most delicious of sensations. It felt like a pulsing liquid sun had bursted into life in her lower belly.

"Darien!" Serena gasped breathlessly through her clenched teeth.

"That's right, say my name." Darien breathed silkily into her ear, but there was a something in his tone and still rigid body that told Serena just how close to the edge he was. He was fighting for control while at the same time he was letting himself go as much as he ever had with her.

"You'll say it plenty when we finally come together." Darien whispered to her. "I promise. Once I make you ready for me, using my hands and my tongue, I'm going to climb on top of you like this. Once you're completely beneath me, so overcome with pleasure that you're all but lost to it, I'm going to work my way inside your tight hot little body."

Oh god! Serena was thrashing beneath him, lost to pleasure and unfamiliar overwhelming sensation, but she was trapped by his weight holding her down on the solid surface of the roof. She was so close to _something_ , something so powerful and intense that it would change her forever. She both wanted more, oh god so much more, and she wanted it to stop. She wanted it to never stop, to find out where it all led, but at the same time she didn't think she could take anymore.

"It will hurt," Darien warned her, "but I promise it will pale in comparison to the pleasure that will come next. Once you've accepted me, I'm going to start moving, back and forth, in and out."

Darien matched his words with actions, moving back and forth on top of her, rubbing his hard self into her heated wet core, protected only by her clothes, stimulating her with the friction of their clothing as he moved against her. He was driving her wild; she was an animal lost to something she couldn't yet understand and as a result was relying only on instinct . . . .

Was this heaven?

Serena couldn't believe this was happening, that Darien was doing this to her, that he had awakened her body like this.

And that's what it felt like, that her body had been sleeping, lying dormant until Darien had climbed on top of her and woken her body with pleasure such as she'd never even dreamed.

"In and out. In and out, over and over and over."

Serena was close, so close to . . . . . _something_! She didn't now and right now she both didn't care, and she feared it. It was unfamiliar and so powerful and intense and all-consuming that she couldn't help but fear it. Her entire body was too hot and pulsing and buzzing.

Was this what it felt like to be struck by lightning? So overcome by her body that for the first time in her life her mind wasn't in charge of it? To have so much _electricity_ contained inside one being that an explosion was inevitable?

"And when neither of us can take it anymore," Darien went on, his voice all silk and sensual promise. "When I'm inside you to the hilt and you're holding me so tight . . . when you come for me . . . . . I'll move faster and faster . . . lost in the bliss that is you, my sweet beautiful Serena . . . until I find my own release."

Darien was grinding against her, harder and harder, faster and faster, seemingly as long as she was to the pleasure, the wanting, the hot fire that had consumed them both.

And when Serena thought that she was going to die from the pleasure, from the intensity of her body's pulsing waves of electric sensation, it all imploded in liquid head and pleasure so intense that it blinded her.

Exhausted, Serena stilled beneath him and collapsed in exhaustion, feeling so heavy and drained that she couldn't even find the strength to open her eyes.

Somewhere, in the distance, Serena was numbly aware of Darien crying out as he stiffened above her for the longest of moments before he too collapsed, all of his weight coming down on her, crushing her into the hard cold surface of the roof.

And Serena didn't care, even a little.

They were both panting liked they'd been running for their lives for hours, and for long minutes that was all they could do, try to catch their panting breaths and slow their racing heartbeats.

Slowly, by degrees, Serena became aware of that outside of her exhaustion. Darien's weight that was crushing her against the solid surface beneath her was beginning to become very uncomfortable.

And speaking of uncomfortable, Serena was becoming aware of a strange wet sensation in her underwear. Where there had only been liquid heat before was now only cooling wetness.

Colour erupted in her face, colour so intense from her embarrassment that it actually felt like it was burning her skin. No doubt she was glowing like a tomato.

But there was a different glow in her as well, a glow that seemed to run from the top of her head to the tip of her toes.

Serena felt different. Her entire body felt . . . lighter even though she still felt heavy from exhaustion that was slowly beginning to pass.

Above her, Darien moaned, the sound long and deep. And then he weakly shifted his weight to the side, where he collapsed beside of her.

All at once, Serena missed his weight and his warmth. Where moments ago she had been so hot she'd been burning, now she was only cold and missing his weight and heat on top of her, shielding her from the rest of the world.

For a while there, there had only been the two of them, lost in a world of white-hot pleasure and wanting so intense that it had consumed her body and soul.

Slowly, Serena opened her eyes and with what felt like great effort, turned her head to the side, almost as if to reassure herself that her Darien was still there with her.

Darien was laying on his side, still breathing so hard that his entire body was moving in time with his breaths. His eyes were open and sweat was only just beginning to dry on his face and neck, sweat so thick that his hair was sticking to his forehead.

Serena became aware that she was just as sweaty. It seemed that her senses were only just beginning to truly recover from the most earthshattering experience they'd ever endured.

"I'm sorry," Darien whispered to her, his eyes locked with her own. "I didn't mean to take that that far."

Serena smiled dazedly at him, so pleasantly exhausted that she couldn't do more than offering him two words as reassurance that she was fine with how far he'd taken things.

"I'm not."

And her eyes drifted closed as she slipped into the deepest most peaceful sleep she'd ever had. She was sated and now all she wanted to do was rest, so that's what she did.

The rest of the world could be damned. It would still be there when she woke.

* * *

They both must have dozed for a good hour because when Darien shook her awake, Serena found that the sun was much lower in the sky than it had been the last time she'd paid it any heed.

Ignoring the uncomfortable cold wetness of her underwear and her body's obvious displeasure at being laid on a solid surface for so long, Serena had freaked out. She was going to be late getting home and that was all she needed.

At best she'd be grounded for being late for curfew. At worst her parents would question her to her where about and there was no way in hell she could tell them the truth and with no one to vouch for her whereabouts, it was just possible that they'd realise that she had a secret and that had the potential to lead to the discovery of said secret.

So, Serena had quickly kissed Darien on the lips, told him rather shrilly that she had to get home, and she ran as fast as she could all the way home.

She hadn't made it home by curfew, but she'd only been twenty minutes late, so she'd gotten scolded by her worried parents and had been given extra chores as punishment.

Serena hadn't objected in the slightest. She'd apologised and accepted the consequences.

Then she'd showered and after a half-hearted attempt to eat her dinner, Serena had gone to bed. She was exhausted, it was a sated exhaustion, but it was a bone-deep exhaustion none the less.

Her body had been put through so much today, so much that it wasn't accustomed too, and now it wanted to rest.

That night, Serena's dreams were a repeat of what had happened on the arcade's roof, except this time there was no clothing keeping them apart from each other.

* * *

 **Wednesday**

To Serena's extreme disappointment, she didn't manage to wake before her alarm – not that she was surprised after yesterday and last night. Her dreams had been intense – and following that had one of those mornings that nothing seemed to go right. She couldn't find her school uniform blouse and then she put on odd socks but didn't realise until after she'd put on her shoes, so she had to take off her shoes and find herself a pair of socks.

After that she went downstairs to get her lunch before leaving and realised that she'd forgotten to take her pill. The alarm had gone off fifteen minutes before, but she'd been too busy trying to find matching socks.

So she'd had to go back upstairs, take her pill and as a result of everything, by the time she was out the front door she was running late.

She'd run all the way to the park where she'd found Darien waiting for her, she'd blown passed him with an apology and a promise to meet him after school if she made it on time and avoided a detention.

Serena had made it to school with only three seconds to spare, just enough to save her from another after school detention.

Only then, when sitting in her first class did she finally have the time and the energy to really reflect on what had happened yesterday afternoon.

She'd had her first orgasm. Darien had given her her first orgasm and it had come out of nowhere – Darien going that far, not the orgasm.

Serena luckily wasn't called on once today by any of her teachers, which was so lucky because she couldn't have recalled a single thing taught in any of her classes today. She'd been far too distracted today by her own thoughts and reflections to pay attention to anything happening around her, let alone what her teachers were teaching.

She couldn't believe it. She'd had her first orgasm and it had been mind-blowing – well, duh – and it had been so intense that now in the aftermath she felt different inside and out.

Inside, there was so much going on. She'd been looking forward to the day she could lie with her love in his bed and become his in all ways, but now there was something else she felt about the coming loss of her virginity.

Fear. What had happened yesterday had been so intense and unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She had been felt feeling different, detached from herself in a way. It was like she didn't know herself anymore, and after something so powerful, how could it not change her? And if that's how the on the clothes stuff felt and left her feeling, then how was she possibly going to survive actually having sex with the man she loved.

She hadn't realised just how vulnerable she was during such intimacy, and she wasn't just talking about her body. She was vulnerable physically for the obvious reason, as Darien was so much bigger and stronger than her and yesterday she'd been trapped beneath him, defenceless against anything that Darien chose to do to her.

Yes, Serena turned Darien with all her heart, the fear was fear of Darien, but a young woman's instinctive fear of the stronger bigger male.

But then there was her precious heart. What if after she opened herself up as completely as she could to Darien and in the end, Darien left her. After opening herself up like that she didn't think she could survive losing him.

She loved him with everything that she was now, how much worse would it be when he possessed her body as well as her heart.

Of course, she was just being stupid. Serena scolded herself. She knew better, she knew Darien better than that. She loved Darien and she trusted him. He'd never do anything to hurt her, her body or her heart.

After all, hadn't he even warned her yesterday that sex would hurt at first? Darien had never hidden that face from her. He'd even used it as an argument in the past to try to dissuade her from wanting to have sex with him.

But the fear wasn't all that was new. She felt changed. She was more aware of her body than she'd ever been and there was this sense that there was no going back, that she'd crossed a line and in doing so she'd lost a large piece of her childhood innocence.

She was growing up and now she was doing grownup things.

She'd had her first orgasm. Darien had touched her as she'd never been touched before and had allowed her to feel _him_.

Another first.

And then there was that Darien had lost control, or had come as close as he'd ever come to losing control.

Darien had lost control, but he'd still been gentle with her. He'd been passionate and intense and hungry for her, but never once had he caused her pain.

Even though the glimpse Serena had seen inside of him had also scared her a little, she'd just been too distracted to realise it at the time. There was something deep inside of Darien that he kept under tight control. Something untamed and powerful and just a little bit dark, like a warrior side that he never let the world see, never let loose.

But he had yesterday.

Did she really have that much power over him? Darien was the most controlled person Serena had ever known. He had a control over himself that bordered on superhuman. Was that why? Was it because there was something a little bit dark and untamed locked up deep inside of him?

At the very least there was a side of Darien that he kept under strict control, the way some people were adamant about keeping their tempers under control.

So, Serena was changed inside and out in ways she didn't yet funny understand and she'd seen a tiny glimpse of Darien's dark side.

But despite all that, Serena still wanted to do it – and more – all over again. She feared what such intimacy would mean but regardless she still craved it with a wanting that would not be denied, no matter what.

The fact was that she'd wanted what had happened yesterday and she still wanted to go all the way. And she wanted to do it with Darien.

As for the rest of it, maybe another conversation with the girls about sex was what she needed. Talk not about the sex act itself but what it meant for a girl, how it changed her.

How it _would_ no doubt change her.

* * *

After school Serena went straight to the roof of the Arcade where Darien was anxiously waiting for her.

Obviously, he'd been unsure whether she'd turn up after yesterday.

Silly Darien. Not once had it entered her mind to avoid him for a while.

The sun was out, and it was a beautiful day, a cloudless blue sky above, which matched her mood because the moment Serena had seen Darien standing there waiting for her, all the doubts that had plagued his had disappeared just like the snap of her fingers.

It was as good thing that the weather had been so dry lately as when it rained they had no place to meet, no place that there wasn't any risk of being discovered anyway. Occasionally when they were desperate – mostly because it had been raining for a several days – they'd met in the Arcades storage cupboard for a quick make out session, but they were always on alert when they did that because anyone could come to the cupboard for any reason.

Fortunately, lately it had been all clear skies. And she was free to spend her limited free amount of time with her boyfriend.

And that was what she was going to do. Yesterday had happened and she wanted more, but it was clear that the right thing for now was to take their time. They didn't have to rush, as they had weeks before her birthday.

Serena walked straight up to her boyfriend and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down until she could plant a gentle loving kiss on his lips.

Darien's arms wrapped around her automatically, pulling and holding her close.

"How are you feeling?" Darien asked her, looking down into her eyes searching. He was trying to hide his anxiety but Serena knew her love far too well not to see it in him.

Serena gave him a smile that was all love and happiness. "I'm fine. Wonderful. There's nothing for you to worry about."

"After yesterday-."

Serena had a sure idea what he was going to say and she wasn't in the mood for unnecessary apologies.

"Yesterday was wonderful and what I wanted," Serena nodded her head to the side. "Or just a taste of what I really want. But we don't have to do it again if you don't want too."

" _If I don't want too? Are you insane? Of course I do!"_

It was all Serena could do to keep from bursting out laughing at his incredulous tone.

"But not if you don't." He added on after a moment.

Serena shook her head at him in disbelief. When was he going to learn?

Silly Darien.

* * *

"I think we need to get away," Serena said thoughtfully, not ten minutes later.

She was sitting in Darien's lap, her back against his chest, his arms wrapped around her, her arms resting on top of his own where they laid around her. They'd kissed hello but since then they'd been sitting as they were, staring out over the city from their shaded private spot, just enjoying their time together.

Serena didn't think that either of them could trust themselves after yesterday. Maybe that was why neither of them were overly inclined to make out. It wasn't because they _didn't_ want, it was because they wanted _too much_.

Now that Serena was back in Darien's arms, all her thoughts and concerns had just faded away. She was just stressing for no reason. She'd had her first orgasm, and she was still going to talk to the girls about it – without giving away her secret – and of course she still wanted more, but for now being in Darien's arms was more than enough for her.

"What do you mean?" Darien asked curiously, looking down at her.

Serena leaned to the side and looked up at him. "I mean I want to go somewhere where we can just be together, where we can be us without having to worry about being seen by someone we know. Let's just get in your car and drive somewhere where we can be free of everything for just a little while."

Darien liked the sound of that. "Where do you want to go?"

"It doesn't really matter that much to me." Serena told him honestly, leaning back against him once more. It was a much more comfortable position. "As long as we're together."

"How about a day trip down the coast?" Darien suggested. "We can just drive until we find someplace interesting to stop."

"Or we could just keep driving," Serena suggested, her eyes on the horizon. The idea had so much appeal it seemed like a dream. "Just keep going and never come back."

Darien smiled into her hair, it was tempting. Just the road and the two of them with no worries or responsibilities or laws that would keep them apart. "That would be kidnapping in the eyes of the law."

Serena turned her face and rubbed her cheek against his chest, loving the feel of his hard heat all around her. She breathed in his scent, his strong masculine musky scent that was Darien's unique intoxicating scent. He smelt like coffee and _man_. "How can you kidnap someone who belongs to you?"

Darien smiled with soft love. How did she always manage to turn his worries around like that? "Because right now the law says that you belong to your parents, or at least belong in their care." He amended before she could scold him about his choice of words. "Your parents and the law aren't our enemy. Your parents love you and I get their overprotectiveness of you, and as for the law, that just _is_ and it is for a reason. Good reasons."

"I know, I get that." Serena admitted, however reluctantly. "Doesn't mean I can't resent them though."

"No, it doesn't." Darien agreed before changing the subject. "So, what about this trip out of the city. You really want to do it?"

"Yeah, I do. Don't you?" Serena raised his hand to her face and ran it down her cheek, wanting his touch, needing his touch. Their time together was always so short and that only made it more precious.

"A full day with you without having to worry? I want it more than air."

Serena grinned into his hand. Her Darien was more charming than anyone else could know. He flattered her with his words, never missing an opportunity to shower her with his charming words.

Then Serena turned back to the subject at hand, silently running through her upcoming events with her parents and the girls, looking for just the right opening.

"How about the Saturday two weeks from now?" Serena suggested upon noting that it was the perfect day for her.

Darien shrugged indifferently.

Darien didn't have a family. No one but her and Andrew to wonder where he was and what he was doing.

It was probably the only benefit to having no family, but it did mean a lonely existence though.

One day, when she was old enough Serena would be his family.

"Is that enough time for you to set up an alibi with your parents and the girls?" Darien asked her as if it had been an afterthought.

"It is." Although Serena hated lying to her parents and the girls it was a necessary evil in order to spend time with her secret boyfriend.

And as much as Serena hated to admit it, her parents were easy to explain her absence too – even when they didn't know where she was they assumed she was with the girls or at the arcade. In their minds she was only ever there or at school when she wasn't at home – but it was the girls that were the hardest.

When Serena wasn't with them, and they didn't know where she was like at school or away at a family outing, they tended to call to see if she wanted to hang out with them.

And if Serena didn't answer her cell phone they would call the house.

To have a full day out with Darien, all four girls were going to have to believe that she was unavailable for the entire day.

While her parents would believe that she was with the girls and usually when her parents wanted to get in contact with her they called her cell phone.

So as long as Serena didn't miss any calls, she should be free and clear for the day.

The risk of something going wrong and the two of them getting caught was what kept her full day outings with Darien to something that only happened occasionally.

Disappearing for the full day too often would raise flags with both her parents and her friends.

"What do you want to do this Saturday?" Darien asked after several silent – but comfortable – minutes passed. "Are you free?"

Serena knew he was talking about their once a fortnight – if they were really lucky once a week – real date. The one time of the week that they did the things that normal couples did. They were discrete about it of course but they went out to dinner or they went to see a movie, or they had a picnic in a secluded part of a park on the other side of the city. They tried to do something different each date, something that they could do that had minimal risk of them being discovered.

Of course, Serena wanted to go out on dates more often but she did understand why they had to be careful. At least until she turned sixteen. Once she was sixteen she'd only have to keep their relationship a secret from her parents, or more specifically, her father.

Darien was really _terrified_ of her highly overprotective father. Serena couldn't even discuss dating when her father was anywhere in the vicinity. He went _postal_ , downright homicidal. Her father REALLY didn't want anyone dating his sweet little girl.

If he only knew.

With any luck Serena wouldn't have to tell her father about Darien until her wedding day – should Darien want to get married one day that was.

"I'm free on Saturday." Serena said in answer to his second question. "I don't want to plan anything just yet. What do you say we wing it? Just wait until Saturday and see what we want to do then."

"As you wish." Darien whispered silkily into her ear.

Serena smiled. Her Darien loved spoiling her, but he'd better be careful as she just might get used to it.

Turning in his arms, Serena settled herself in his lap facing him this time and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Then she did what she wished, although today they kept it above the waist.

* * *

 **Thursday**

It was always a good week day when Serena had the pleasure of spending time with Darien both before and after school, and she'd been having a lot of good days lately. It was the main ingredient in her having a really good day, school or no school – which Serena had learned wasn't all that bad when you got okay grades instead of failing all the time.

Once again Serena had been up before her alarm and after showering, dressing and taking her pill she'd been out the door with her lunch in hand and had managed to get a good twenty minute make-out session in before she'd run like a lunatic to school, where she'd made it just in time – meaning she'd managed to avoid getting afterschool detention.

Honestly, Serena couldn't get why her father would disapprove so much of her relationship with Darien as he was the main reason she was changing for the better. After all, she'd always loved her sleep, but not half as much compared to spending time with Darien.

Meaning that getting up early was so worth the time she spent with Darien. And with both Darien and the girls helping her with her studies, she was now an average student in nearly all her classes – she was still struggling with gym class though.

Honestly, she had no co-ordination at all. If she wasn't hitting someone else with the ball, then she was being hit in the face with the ball that she'd failed to catch.

With no after school detention today, Serena had been rewarded with a full hour of free time with Darien that they'd spent talking and making out on the roof of the Arcade.

Okay, so they'd done more making out than talking, but words had still been exchanged – _a few_ anyway – and that still counted.

Afterwards, they'd joined their friends in the arcade where Serena had had fun calling Darien a _stupidhead_ at the top of her lungs. They'd done their usual ' _hate each other'_ performance but then they'd both spent some time with their friends, Serena with the girls in their usual booth and Darien with Andrew, talking at the counter.

After that, Lita had insisted upon seeing the other four girls home since the sun was getting low and they'd taken the time to make plans for a trip to the mall after school tomorrow.

Serena had made a mental note to find herself some more _grownup_ sleepwear. She had outgrown – mentally not physically – her pink flannel bunny pyjamas. They were comfortable to sleep in, but she wanted something less _girly_ and more _womanly_.

And now here she was, at the dining room table eating dinner with her family, lost in her memories that she'd made with Darien today.

"Serena!"

Serena blinked and looked up at the sharp sound of her name to find her parents and her brother all staring at her, her parents with parental disapproval and her brother with barely contained glee.

It was the look Sammy wore when his sister was about to get into trouble and he was in the free and clear.

Serena had the impression that her parents had been trying to get her attention for a while. Her brother's expression was the biggest clue.

Quick to wipe any trace of her thoughts that might be lingering in her expression, Serena turned her innocent eyes on her parents. "Yes?" She asked politely.

Her parents exchanged a look, an unspoken communion passing between them, the kind Serena had seen them exchange all her life.

What must it be like to be that close to someone, to know them that well, that spoken communication wasn't always needed? To be able to communicate with a _look_.

Maybe one day she'd find out. With Darien.

Her parents turned their focus back to her and Serena had the feeling that she was in for a lecture, maybe not now at the dinner table but soon.

But for once Serena wasn't that worried about that. Her grades had improved, she was rarely late for school anymore – detention late that was – and she hadn't done anything scold worthy – that they knew of.

If they knew about Darien or her birth control pills, then they'd already be going postal at her. They would have started the moment she'd walked through the door.

"Your father asked you if you had any idea what you wanted to do on your birthday this year?" Her mother asked her calmly, in her gentle motherly voice.

And just like that it hit her that she was going to have to lie to her family – and her friends, everyone – if she wanted the birthday that she truly craved. If she wanted to spend the night with Darien then she was going to have to sacrifice spending it with her family and friends.

That meant that there would be some guilt both before and after, but the threat of that still wasn't enough to discourage her or make her change her plans.

"I don't know yet," Serena told them, looking down at her dinner. Lie one down but how many to go? "I'll let you know when I know."

And with a desperate need to change the subject, Serena wiped her guilt from her face and turned to her father, hoping that the look on her face was one of innocent askance and not one of teenage guilt. "Daddy, the girls and I are going to the mall tomorrow after school, can I please have some money to buy some new pyjamas?"

Ken regarded his daughter thoughtfully, the same way he did every time one of his children asked him for money.

Fortunately, it wasn't an unusual request. Her parents believed that their children shouldn't have to spend their savings on clothing, unless of course they wanted something special.

"Do you need new pyjamas?" Her father asked her, giving her a look that said she'd better be honest with him.

Serena gave her father her best _please daddy_ face. "Yes, all of my pyjamas are too young for me. I need something worthy of a sixteen-year-old. I mean, I'm growing up daddy, shouldn't I have something more age appropriate? I am turning sixteen after all."

"I don't know, Serena." Her father told her, clearly trying to decide if she really did need what hse was asking for. "If you have _suitable_ pyjamas-."

"But daddy!" Serena protested in her best _but daddy_! tone. "That's just it! I don't have _suitable_ pyjamas for a girl my age."

Her father sighed, and Serena knew she had him. It was his giving in sigh, not his bracing himself for a debate sigh.

But she could also see the wheels turning in his head. He was going to give in, but it was coming with strings attached.

"Alright. If you want new pyjamas, then I'll give you enough for _half_ the cost of a couple of pairs of new pyjamas." Her father was half negotiating and half teaching her responsibility. Her father never passed up the opportunity to teach one of his children responsibility. "You'll have to take the rest from your savings."

Serena was very careful not to let her delight show. She'd won but she couldn't let her father think that _she_ thought that. He wouldn't like it and he might very well reconsider the money he had just promised her.

Things had worked out better than she'd expected. The best part being that no matter what form of sleepwear she brought home, her father had inadvertently okayed it. Not to mention that she'd paid for half of it with her own money.

Not that she was going to go _too_ grown up, but still her father didn't like any overt signs that she was growing up, becoming a woman.

He was very overprotective of his little girl.

Which was the reason why Darien and her had to be so careful of their secret.

"Yes daddy," Serena beamed pleasantly at her father. "Thankyou daddy."

Across the table, Irene's eyes narrowed on her daughter who'd resumed eating her meal.

Something was up, and Irene didn't mean the little con job she'd just worked on her father to get some money for what Serena was calling _more grownup pyjamas_ – just exactly how _grownup_ she was talking about would remain to be seen.

What Irene hadn't missed was her daughter's hesitation upon answering their query about her birthday.

Serena was up to something. Her motherly instincts were going off and her instincts were rarely wrong. They'd been homed by years of raising her two children.

Irene hadn't failed to notice the changes her daughter had undergone lately. She had matured a lot in the last year and although it was a good thing, the reason behind said change was still unknown.

And as much as Irene loved and trusted her daughter, she couldn't completely trust the teenage girl her daughter had become.

An idea of what could've brought about such positive and radical change was beginning to take form in the back of her mind and just like that suspicion was taking root in her mind.

Irene knew her daughter and she wasn't blind. She was reasonably certain that her daughter was dating someone and was most likely in love with that said someone.

And Irene was happy for her daughter, happy that her daughter was so obviously happy. In fact, Serena was downright radiant with her happiness and it was something Irene loved seeing in her daughter.

But at the same time Irene still had a mother's worry. Teenagers in love, even teenagers as well behaved as her daughter, made foolish choices. Choices that could have consequences that could last beyond her teenage years.

Irene was going to have to keep an eye on her daughter. Serena was growing up true, but she wasn't grown up yet.

Maybe a mother/daughter talk was in order. Not now, but soon.

 _Really soon_.

* * *

After dinner, Serena retired to her room where she did her homework – she didn't have as much homework as normal – and then changed into her pyjamas. Once she was in her comfortable nightwear, Serena slid into bed even though she wasn't ready to sleep just yet. She felt relaxed but not that tired.

Picking up her cell phone, Serena scrolled through her phonebook until she came to her most dialled number.

Darien didn't call her at night, when they spoke on the phone it was Serena who called him. It was a safeguard against one of her parents answering her phone when he called and realised that it was a _boy_ on the other side of the line.

Not that it was likely to happen as her parents respected her privacy, but it wasn't impossible. It was natural to answer a ringing phone.

Darien answered after only two rings. It never took him long to answer her calls.

"Can't sleep, my sweet?" Darien asked in way of greeting. After all, they'd only been together a matter of hours ago; he didn't need to ask her how she was. He knew.

Besides, they were passed the small talk and casual polite chitchat stage of their relationship. Their relationship was become much deeper and intimate than that ages ago.

"I can." Serena replied softly. "I'm just not ready to sleep yet. I wanted to hear your voice again."

Darien's soft laughter filled her ear, his bedroom voice losing very little of its effect on her even over the phone. "You only heard my voice a few hours ago."

"And your point is?" Serena asked with a smile on her face and in her tone.

"No point, just saying."

Serena laughed, but quickly muffled it before her parents or brother heard her. She loved how at ease he sounded. He only ever sounded like that with her and it made her insides tingle. Even with Andrew Serena had noticed that he still held a piece of himself back from his best friend.

"What are you doing right now?" Serena asked, genuinely interested.

"Studying. I'm right in the middle of the complications of blood clots during liver surgery."

"What have you learned?" Serena never understood any of it, but Darien loved talking about his studies and Serena loved listening to him, especially when it was something he was excited about or fascinated by.

Not to mention that Darien had such a soothing voice, a _bedroom_ voice. It relaxed her like nothing else, his voice was as smooth and soothing as warm milk.

The minutes passed in which Serena listened to Darien's in-depth recount of everything he'd studied about the dangers of blood clots and how he felt about what he'd learned and how he couldn't wait to start his surgical residency in two years' time when he could see it for himself.

Before they knew it, over half an hour had passed, not that Serena minded listening to Darien for that long about his studies, even though she rarely understood anything. She just loved to hear his enthusiasm and passion for his studies.

Darien was going to be a great surgeon one day, Serena didn't doubt it. With Darien's passion and determination, the sky was the limit for him.

"What are you wearing?" Darien asked with a sensual purr in his voice after he seemed to run out of things to tell her about his current chapter of study. His tone was playful and sensual all at the same time.

"A smile." Serena replied playfully, wanting to torment him just a little.

" _And_?"

"And my pink flannel pjs." It was an honest answer, but not the one she really wanted to give. She really wanted to be wearing something sexier than flannel.

"With the white bunnies? My favourites?"

Serena grinned into her pillow. Darien had never seen any of her sleepwear, but they'd had the "what are you wearing?" conversation several times before.

"No, the ones with the yellow kittens with big blue eyes."

"Mmmmm," Darien hummed with sensual delight, "my second favourites."

Serena laughed gleefully. She loved that he could make her laugh so effortlessly.

After that, they bided each other goodnight with words of love and the wish for sweet dreams, and Serena ended the call.

She was ready to sleep now.

As she snuggled down into her soft bed, her eyes slowly closing and sleep coming down over her, Serena felt a soft happy love-filled smile spread over her lips.

She truly had the best boyfriend in the world and she wouldn't trade him for anything, not for the whole world.

That they had fallen in love and become a couple still amazed her. She replayed those early days over and over in her mind on occasion and still she couldn't figure it out.

The Fates had worked hard to bring them together, because that's what it must have been.

Fate . . .

* * *

Serena had to wonder if Darien was going out of his way to avoid her the same way that she was going out of her way to avoid him.

She couldn't believe that he'd kissed her! _Her first kiss!_ Her first kiss had been with _Darien_ _Shields_!

And she'd kissed him back! How had _THAT_ happened?

And the _why_ of why it happened had been driving her crazy for the past week, since the last time Serena had seen Darien right before she'd fled from him, running all the way home and not stopping until she'd slammed her bedroom door behind her.

She could still remember that moment as clearly as if it had just happened. Her only thought afterwards had been to get home and lock herself in her room.

It hadn't been until she'd closed her bedroom door and collapsed on the floor at the foot of the door that she'd realised that the reason she'd fled hadn't been because Darien had claimed her first kiss but because of _what she'd felt_ when he'd kissed her.

How did she even begin to describe it? The pleasure, the _wanting_ , but it hadn't just been the passion and the heat of the kiss that had been far more mature than a teenage girl's first kiss should be but what had scared the living daylights out of her was how _right_ it had felt. In that moment when his lips had come down over hers, she'd felt like she'd come home, like in his arms like that was where she'd been born to be.

Something had changed in her that night and it had taken several days before Serena had come to terms with not just what had happened but what she'd been left feeling, what she was still feeling.

She wanted to kiss Darien again. She wanted to do _more_ with him. Serena wanted his tongue in her mouth again, his hands on her body, his scent and warm hardness surrounding her like a blanket shielding her against the rest of the world.

She'd soared in his arms, she'd felt more than she'd ever known she was possible of feeling and more than that, for the first time in her life she knew what it felt like to be a woman. To want and burn in a man's arms.

And that was what Darien was. A _man_. He wasn't a boy like some of the others she'd tried her hand at flirting with once or twice. There was nothing, not a thing that was _boyish_ about Darien.

And what made her even more scared was that she realised that something had changed in her forever, in her life. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She was on her way to adulthood and this had been the first significant step.

Step, hell it had been a leap.

And now all because of one kiss, because of _Darien's_ kiss, Serena wanted to grow up in more ways than the physical. She wanted to stand on her own and for her parents to stop treating her like a little girl. She wanted to be _grown up_ , to discover all the things, good and bad, that it meant to be an adult. She wanted to do adult things with Darien and feel that pleasure deep inside of her that hummed and pulsed so much that it felt like it had been alive, this living glowing vibrating thing deep inside her belly where she hadn't felt anything like this before. She wanted.

That was it. _She wanted_. She wanted Darien. She wanted his kisses, his touch, his warmth and his strength wrapped around her once again.

But the biggest shock of all had come the night before when she'd been lying in bed, thinking of what had happened – hardly anything else had occupied her mind since it had happened – and she'd realised something. Something that had shocked her to her core.

She hadn't just wanted Darien's kisses and his touch. No, she wanted _him_. All of him. For always.

Serena had always had a secret crush on him deep in her secret girl's heart, and that's what it had been. Until he'd kissed her, and then it had become something . . . _more_. Something stronger, something that felt so much more . . . . _permanent_.

From the moment they'd met, when she'd hit him in the head with her discarded math exam – she'd gotten another F – she'd been drawn to him in a way that she couldn't begin to explain and had been too scared to explore – she'd been too young to understand it – as she'd only been twelve. But she wasn't twelve anymore and now things had changed between them forever.

There was no going back but even if there was, Serena didn't think she'd want to go back. How could she possibly go back to _not knowing_?

Darien had always stood out of the crowd for her, her eyes drawn to him like a moth to a flame, and it wasn't just his handsome face and drool-worthy features. He was any male model's envy, but it had been his eyes that had made her realise that there was something _more_ to him that he didn't let anyone see.

His eyes had made her feel sad. Not sad _for_ him, just sad. She'd watched him when he'd come into the arcade and it hadn't taken long to see that he was a good friend to Andrew, which wasn't hard. Andrew was the type of guy that everyone immediately liked, a good old boy next door, as the expression went, but it was the way that Darien opened himself up just a little with Andrew.

And then she'd eventually realised what it was that she saw in Darien's eyes that he tried so hard to hide from the world. Something beneath that had fuelled the sadness.

Loneliness. The kind that ran right through the core of a person, that went more than bone deep, it went soul deep.

Darien had been well and truly alone and had been for a long time. Darien's loneliness was the kind that made it impossible for him to really feel any kind of genuine happiness.

So that was what it had been in his eyes that had captured her attention, loneliness and sadness that ran so deep that they were a part of him.

But still, there was more to Darien than that, as she'd learned from watching him over time. He was kind and generous. He teased her to no end, tormented her every chance he had, but he'd never been _mean_. He'd never hurt her feelings. In all the time that they'd yelled and shouted and insulted each other it had never been _mean spirited_.

So, falling for him had perhaps been inevitable.

But what was she going to do now? _They'd kissed!_

If her father ever found out, Darien was a dead man and she'd be grounded for life, even though she technically hadn't instigated it.

And how was she ever going to face Darien again? She couldn't avoid him forever – she really missed the arcade. It was her place to have fun, unwind, and spend carefree hours with her parents while secretly trying not to stare in Andrew and Darien's direction. She hadn't been there since, but she wasn't looking forward to facing Darien the next time. Things wouldn't just be awkward they'd been downright excruciating!

After detention today, Serena still hadn't had the nerve to go back to the arcade where she knew Darien went nearly every day, so now she was walking home as she'd been doing for the past week, heading straight home after school and detention.

Serena walked slowly with her head down along the sidewalk where people brushed passed her whom she didn't see as she as lost in her misery.

And only two blocks from home, Serena walked straight into a hard broad chest and immediately was sent falling backwards from the impact, but before she even realised that she was falling, large strong hands shot out and caught hold of her upper arms, steadying her and keeping her on her feet.

Serena didn't need to look up to know it was Darien. She knew his scent, his touch, what it felt like being close to him.

In sheer self-defence, Serena froze. She didn't move, she barely dared to breathe. She couldn't look up at him, she couldn't even stand to face this moment. She'd been dreading it for a week.

She just continued to stand there as he continued to hold her like he was hesitant to let her go because he knew she'd flea the moment she could.

"Serena," Darien breathed, the word barely more than a whisper.

His tone made her gasp.

There was no smugness in his voice. Instead, there was nervousness and a pleading for something, something she couldn't or didn't want to identify.

"We have to talk."

"No," Serena told him, her gaze fixed unseeingly straight ahead. She couldn't see anything in this moment because she was feeling far too much to comprehend anything else. "We don't."

"Yes, we do." Darien insisted, more determination in his voice than had been there the moment before. "I can't stand you avoiding me. Please, just give me a chance to apologise. I promise I won't ever do it again."

Huh? Serena was so shocked by his words that she forgot about everything else and she looked up at him, not understanding. Why would he apologise?

Why would he apologise for giving her the first kiss of her dreams – sort of – with the person she'd dreamed in her secret girl's heart of kissing?

Nothing made sense. Everything felt disjointed, like the whole world had been tipped on it's axis.

Was she dreaming? Had she fallen asleep in detention again? It felt more plausible than that this was actually happening.

Serena had expected Darien to either ignore her or make fun of her the first time they were near each other again.

Not . . . _this_.

Serena became aware of the world moving around her and she looked around, confused in the fullest meaning of the world.

It took her several long seconds to realise that they were moving, that her feet were moving because Darien was urging her into the open mouth of the alley between two stores they were standing by.

Darien didn't lead her in too deep, just so they were out of the street but not beyond the eye line of the other pedestrians walking along the street.

Here they had a little privacy but they were far from being alone.

Serena looked dumbly back up at Darien's handsome face, feeling like her brain was underwater and everything was moving in slow motion.

Serena couldn't comprehend what was happening. She was dreaming, she had to be. This couldn't be real.

"Serena, I know you're mad and me," Darien began as if he'd been rehearsing these words all week. "And maybe a little scared of me now but I promise it won't happen again. I won't touch you again."

As if the realisation that he was doing just that, that his hands were still on her arms, holding her in place, Darien jumped back from her with all the startlement of being suddenly burned.

Serena felt herself tilt her head slightly to the side as she regarded him, but she had no mental awareness of willing the action.

This was so strange. Was this what it felt like to have an out of body experience? She was definitely out of it whether she was dreaming or not.

Maybe, if this was really happening, this was her mind's defence against her crushing embarrassment and awkwardness – to make her feel nothing at all.

Was such a thing even possible.

Somewhere deep inside her mind, Serena realised that she had to pull herself together, but she just couldn't seem to do it.

Well, if she wasn't feeling anything then she had to be dreaming so what did she have to lose? She might as well take this dream in the direction she really wanted it to go.

"It was my first kiss." Serena told him calmly, her tone so matter-of-fact that it sounded strange even to her own ears.

The expression that came to Darien's face was almost funny. He looked like he'd been slapped in the face with a raw fish without any warning.

Serena wanted to laugh but she knew that she shouldn't; Darien never liked it when she laughed at him.

" _What_?!"

Serena bit her lip in a desperate effort to contain her urge to burst into hysterical laughter. Now he was gaping at her like a fish.

Serena couldn't think of anything to say, and since it was her dream she decided to let the silence stretch between them.

It took Darien more than a minute to collect himself, or so it seemed, but Serena merely continued to wait and watch to see what her dream was going to make him do next.

Finally, Darien turned his attention outward once again and looked at her as if he were truly seeing her for the first time.

"I can't say that I know what a first kiss means to a girl, but I do know it's important." Darien told her wretchedly, as if he couldn't believe he'd done such a horrible thing. "I wish I could make it up to you."

And just like that, Serena knew that she wasn't dreaming, because not even in her dreams did she ever want to see such self-loathing in Darien's eyes. He was tearing himself up over taking her first kiss from her and she couldn't let him do that.

Serena had never been the type of person who could stand to see another person in pain. Not even in her dreams.

Especially not Darien.

Who was at this moment standing in front of her with his head bowed and his fists clenched so tightly that he was shaking.

And all of a sudden, Serena knew what she wanted from him, knew how to make all of this better.

A moment before Serena had felt so disorientated that she'd believed she'd been dreaming, but now she felt more alive than she had this whole week.

"Kiss me again." Serena blurted out in a rush before she lost her nerve.

Darien's head snapped up and he looked at her as if she had two heads. His eyes were so wide that they looked like they were about to bulge right out of their sockets. "What did you say?!"

Drawing in a long deep breath for courage, Serena looked him straight in the eye to show him that she was completely serious. "If you want to make it up to me, kiss me again. Give me the first kiss I should've had."

Not that the first had been bad, the actual kiss itself had been divine, it was the afterwards that hadn't been so great.

"Serena-." Darien started, sounding strangled.

"Kiss me." She insisted a moment before her self-doubts started to creep in, making her next words sound much meeker. "Unless you don't _want_ too."

" _Unless I-."_

And then Darien was kissing her, having closed the small distance between them so abruptly that Serena hadn't even realised he'd moved. His lips were just suddenly on hers, his hand lost in her hair and cupping the back of her head as he held her in place as his lips slowly but devouringly moved against her own in a sensual dance as old as the tides.

Serena's eyes drifted closed and everything else but Darien's touch and kiss faded from her mind. His kisses were slow this time, but there was still that passion there, that fire, that unquenchable hunger for more.

Serena surrendered to him, to his kisses, his touch and his will. He could do whatever he wanted to her as long as he didn't stop this sweet torment that was making her body sing in a way that was so delicious it was downright sinful.

How long they stayed like that, their hands and bodies glued in place, all except for their lips and mouths, Serena didn't know but it wasn't long enough.

Eventually the need for air brought them back to them out of their dream world and back into the real one.

Serena opened her eyes to find herself staring straight into Darien's wide deep blue eyes and as if they were burning each other, they simultaneously flew apart from each other.

Panting heavily, they stared at each other with wide-eyed wonder.

"What is this?" Darien asked her as if she had all the answers. "What's happening?"

"I don't know," Serena panted back. "But I want to do it again."

"So do I."

"What does this mean?" Serena asked, bewildered.

"I don't know," Darien answered using her words from only a moment ago.

They continued to stand like that, staring wide-eyed at each other, both marvelling at how this felt like the beginning of something new, something that had the potential to be amazing.

* * *

 **Friday**

With memories of the early days of their relationship filling her dreams, Serena woke as she'd fallen asleep, smiling and so happy that she felt like she was glowing, even though she knew that she couldn't meet up with Darien after school today as he had a study thing that he couldn't get out of. Not that she'd asked him too; she was old enough to understand that as much as they both wanted to spend every possible moment they could together, they couldn't ignore the other people and commitments they had in their lives.

Serena had her family, her friends and high school and Darien had his med school studies and Andrew.

So with that in mind, Serena had suggested to the girls that they send their afternoon at the mall. They had the whole weekend to do their homework, so even Amy didn't object.

Serena couldn't help but marvel at that while Amy, who was the most responsible of their group, made sure that they studied and did their homework, and in doing so made them more responsible, the once shy bookworm was now much more sociable than she'd once been. Amy kept them responsible and they kept her from becoming too serious.

The five of them brought balance to each other's lives. Before they'd all become friends, they'd all been . . . _set apart_ from the crowd in their own way. Rei had been shunned because she'd been thought of as weird as she was a priestess at her grandfather's temple and Serena guessed that most other teenage girls hadn't known how to relate to her because of that. Lita had also been shunned because of her Amazonian build and her love of martial arts. Even Amy had been shunned because of her daunting intellect that had never seen her get anything below an A.

And while Mina had been admired by her fans, they'd never wanted to get to know the real her, the girl inside, they'd just want to get close to her because of her fame.

And as for Serena, except for Molly, while the other girls had school hadn't actively shunned her, they'd also had no interest in befriending her as in her days before Darien had helped her grow up just that little bit, she'd been clumsy – she still was, just not as badly as she'd once been – and she was always late and forgetting her homework and so she was always getting detention.

It was hard to make friends when she was always in detention during her lunchbreaks and after school.

And so, the five of them were perfect friends for each other, they all had something to share with the group, to help and support each other and to help each of them become better people.

But they weren't friends because they had no one else, no they were friends because they wanted to be, because they fit so well together. They accepted each other's gifts and talents and weaknesses, and they were there for each other and as a result the five of them were as close as sisters, they shared a bond that could overcome anything.

Which was why Serena really hated keeping her relationship with Darien a secret from them. She knew they would support her and that they wouldn't tell, but at the same time Serena knew why she had to keep her secret from them. It wouldn't be fair to them to burden them with her secret, to make them worry that Darien was taking advantage of her and then on top of that add that their relationship wasn't exactly legal even though they technically weren't doing anything wrong.

Not that anything they did ever _felt_ wrong.

Serena looked around at her friends as they made their way through the busy mall, each of them with at least one shopping bag in hand.

Serena loved them all so much and she was grateful for them. She was really looking forward to the day that she could share her relationship with Darien with them, as they shared their relationships with her – not that there was much of that these days. Serena was the only one with a steady boyfriend, even Lita was between boyfriends at the moment – Lita had a good heart, but she was also very well practised at getting over heartbreak.

"Are you alright, Serena? You look like you're miles away."

Serena blinked, yanked from her thoughts by Amy's gentle and concerned tone.

All four girls were looking at her and Serena got the impression at they had been trying to get her attention, but she'd been too buried in her thoughts to notice.

Serena gave them all a genuine smile. She was with the girls and she shouldn't spend all that precious time lost in her own head.

"I'm fine," Serena assured them. "My mind just wondered."

"To where?" Mina asked, genuinely curious.

Unknown to Serena, all four of the girls hadn't failed to notice that something was up with the youngest of them. She was often distracted and lost in her own thoughts, and then there were the frequent extended periods of time that Serena just seemed to disappear for.

They couldn't figure out what she was up too. What monopolised so much of her time and thoughts? They hadn't confronted her about it yet, but they would soon. They could all feel that the time for that conversation was coming but they wanted to give Serena the chance to confide in them about it first.

If something was wrong – and it if it was it wasn't like Serena to keep such things from them – they wanted to be there for her and help her any way they could.

But for now they trusted that Serena would confide in them eventually.

Serena gave them a warm smile, relieved that for once she didn't have to lie to them or dodge the question. "I was just thinking what great friends I have."

This comment of course inevitably ended in a group hug in which Serena ended up getting squashed in the middle of.

Sometimes being the smallest, or close too as she and Amy were basically the same size – except that Serena had a slightly larger bra size – meant that she was at a disadvantage. Especially when it came to group bear hugs.

As they parted, Serena's eyes fell on the one shop she'd been wanting to get too since she'd realised that she'd outgrown – maturity-wise speaking - her flannel pink pyjamas.

Serena's eyes were glued on the lingerie store that she knew did have a range of more _mature_ sleepwear. Maybe it wasn't just sleepwear that she needed, maybe she needed to pick out something to wear on the night of her birthday.

"Let's go in here." Serena said to the others, already walking towards the store.

The four girls exchanged a look, what did Serena want in there? It wasn't where she usually brought her underwear, what could she possibly want in there?

* * *

 **Saturday**

Serena was on the hunt. He wasn't going to get her. Not this time. No, this time she was taking _him_ down.

Whatever it took, she was going to get him. This time he wasn't going to win, there was too much as stake. She had him now, right where she wanted him . . .

Darien was so good at everything he did it was time that he learned what it was like to lose and at last she'd found something that she was more experienced at than he was.

Serena edged towards the edge of the wall, holding her gun high and ready. She was good at being sneaky and had only improved since they'd started going out. She knew how to watch her step.

Serena peeked around the corner, taking only a moment to see what lay beyond before flattening her back against the wall.

She hadn't seen him, but Serena knew he was close. She always knew when Darien was close. It was like a sixth sense, she knew when her love was nearby and this time she knew that he was hunting her just as fiercely as she was hunting him.

She was going to shoot him first.

Serena glanced back the way she'd come. The corridor was dark and she couldn't see far, even with the dimmed lights above. She'd have to chance it. It was her only choice.

Darkness, even only half darkness, would cover her as much as it was providing cover for him.

Serena stepped out into the next corridor and without any warning red flashing light and a blaring siren sounded from the black vest she wore, lighting her up like a mini disco.

Alerting her to the fact that she'd just been shot.

With a huff, Serena lowered her plastic gun and reluctantly turned to face her shooter.

Who was grinning like the devil himself with his victory. He was standing just outside the deep shadow she'd not seconds ago passed through, his plastic gun pointed right at her.

His own vest proudly displaying the red number three on its small square screen embedded in its centre.

His number of kills.

He'd gotten her three times. Straight.

His three to her zero.

Well, she could add lazer tag to his list of things that he was better at than her.

What really stung was that she'd been playing since she was six years old, as lazer tag was one of the few of her family's activities that both her and her brother liked to do, and this was Darien's first game.

And indoor lazer tag had seemed like a safe place for a date that had to be kept on the down-low. They were in a large two story high room, the bottom half of which was a maze of corridors, trick and hidden doors and various obstacles and features to make the game more challenging. Add to that the poor lighting and flashing darkly coloured lights and the option to have either loud music playing, war-zone sounds or nothing. Chaos or silence.

They'd chosen silence. It had seemed like more of a challenge and Serena had really really wanted to win.

Serena looked down at her vest, disgusted at herself, just as the flashing colourful lights and electronic noises that had alerted her to the fact that her love had shot her in the back ceased.

"You cheated!" Serena accused him childishly even knowing that he hadn't.

"Oh, yeah?" Darien scoffed skeptically, closing the distance between them. It would be another minute or so before her vest reset itself so they could play again.

They'd paid for the full hour after all, or at least Darien had, and despite her losing streak Serena was determined to get him at least once.

Even if _she_ had to cheat.

"And how do you think I managed that?" Darien finished, looking down at her from above, he was close enough that Serena could feel his breath on her face but they weren't touching at all.

Serena glared at him, accusingly. "You always cheat because you always win!"

"Serena, just because I'm good doesn't mean I cheat."

Serena's breath caught in her throat. He always had an effect on her when he was this close to her and he knew it!

"And what about you," Darien glared at her, his voice taking on an accusing edge of its own. "You brought me here thinking you were going to have an advantage over me because you've done this before!"

"I did not!" Serena objected automatically, lying through her teeth.

"Oh, please! The clerk knew you by name!"

"So?" Serena didn't know why she was sticking to her story so hard, although it was probably from a lifetime of growing up with a younger brother whom she'd fought with since Sammy could speak. "I'm memorable."

"Yeah, right." Darien scoffed, not buying it for a moment. He even completed the look by putting his hands on his hips. "How many times have you been here? You probably know every inch of this place."

Serena lowered her gaze for a brief moment, unable to look him in the eye while she lied to him. "Only a few times . . ."

Darien gave her his _oh please_ look.

Serena threw up her arms in defeat. ". . . this year." She finished, very reluctantly.

"You lost, fair and square." Darien shifted closer to her so that they were only a mere whisker from touching. "Pay up."

Serena huffed reluctantly – even though she wasn't _that_ reluctant – and she raised herself up onto her tippy toes, resting her hand on the mostly plastic black vest that covered his chest and she kissed him, his scent filling her nose as his tongue filled her mouth.

Serena purred into his mouth and Darien's hands found their way upwards, cupping her cheeks in his large warm hands, holding her in place.

Why did he always feel the need to hold her in place? It wasn't like she was going anywhere – she made a mental note to confront him about that later.

Serena was in heaven. She really hated to do it, she really did, but she wasn't going to let go down without at least one win to her name.

Suddenly Darien's vest erupted into blaring sound and flashing red light, startling Darien enough that he jumped back from her, looking down at his vest in startled confusion.

Serena threw herself back from him, grinning like a she-devil. "Got'cha!" And with that she whirled on her heel and took off as fast as she could, laughing with smug glee.

"Now that's cheating!" Darien yelled after her but she was already out of sight.

Serena took several turns, knowing exactly where she was going. There was a mock snipers nest in the far corner and she was going to even the score.

Serena felt so happy that by all rights she should've been floating on air. How could life possibly get any better than this?

* * *

It had been a good day, but then it was always a good day when Darien spent it with Serena. She had a way of making life's simplest pleasures life affirming.

Maybe it was her zest for life, her love of having fun and her gift for finding the wonder even in the smallest things.

And she was always so happy and carefree, so innocently childlike in a way that had a habit of effecting everyone around her.

It was one of the things that had drawn him to her like a moth to a flame, even in the beginning when she'd been too young to have romantic feelings for – those had come later.

When Serena laughed everyone in the vicinity automatically turned her way. If angels existed, then Serena had been gifted with an angel's laugh, for surely that's what an angel's laugh must sound like.

God, Darien loved her so much but more than that, he _treasured_ her. She was the most important thing in his life, a life he'd only started to really live since he'd met her. She'd brought him to life in ways that no one else had ever been able to do.

Darien looked out over the night-time view from his nineteenth story apartment, the city glowing beneath and all around. He'd chosen his apartment for the view, for which had been a wise choice because it pleased him to no end that the view pleased Serena.

After their date – lazer tag and a take away supreme pizza without anchovies for their dinner – they'd come to his apartment where they could be together without any risk of being seen. The sun had been setting just beneath the building clattered horizon when they'd closed the door behind them and Serena had immediately gone onto his balcony to admire the glorious sunset that had cast pinks and purples across the twilight sky.

They'd watched the sunset in silence and then twilight had become night and the temperature had started to drop, but both of them had been too content with the tranquillity of the moment for it to end.

Darien was standing with his elbows and folded arms resting on the railing, when Serena moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his forearm, hugging him, seeking his warmth and closeness. She rested her head against his shoulder, leaning on him and Darien didn't mind one bit.

They stayed like that until time became meaningless, enjoying the view and the peace and just being together.

But inevitably, such moments could never last. Darien's thoughts stirred, pulling his eyes from the twinkling view made by both the city lights and the brightest of the night sky's stars, to the young woman in his company.

There was something he needed to ask her, something he needed to know and now was as good a time as any.

"Serena, can I ask you something?" Darien asked, his tone gentle but serious. This had to be a serious conversation.

Serena lifted her gaze from the view up to him and she smiled up at him with perfect trust and love in her beautiful soft eyes. "Anything."

Darien had to wonder if it was her young age or if it was real love that was the reason behind that adoring look on her face. God, he really hoped it was the latter.

"Why do you want to have sex with me?" Darien asked her straight out, knowing that was the best way. He feared the answer, but he had to know. He had to be sure that she wanted it for the right reasons and not because she thought it was something _he_ wanted or because of her teenage hormones.

Serena blushed crimson from her cheeks down her neck and beyond, and she bowed her head shyly, reminding him yet again of both her age and her innocence.

"Because I love you." She answered softly, her voice as soft and as warm as a summer breeze.

Her answer should've put Darien's mind at ease, but it didn't. Maybe it was because she'd answered without looking him in the eye as she usually did or maybe it was because that seemed to be her go to answer.

Yes, he knew that she loved him. But that wasn't enough, not now, not for him. This was one of those rare times when love wasn't a good enough reason.

"But why do _you_ want to have sex with _me_?" Darien stressed the question, his tone stressed even to his own ears, so he forced himself to soften his tone to something much softer than might help her open up to him easier. He had to be honest with her and pray that she was going to be honest with him – which she _usually_ was, regardless of her cheating at lazer tag.

"I'm concerned that you might have convinced yourself that this is something you want because you think it's something _I_ want." Needing to see her eyes, Darien gently slid his hand beneath her chin and tilted her head back until her eyes looked up into his. "Is it because you want to please me or is it something _you_ really want? You can tell me, Serena. You know you can always be honest with me."

Serena looked up at him then, a set look on her face, her eyes determined and steady.

There it was. Her shyness had been washed away beneath a tsunami of iron will and unshakeable resolve. That was the thing about her, she looked like a naïve small teenage girl but deep down there was an iron strength and steady resolve that no one could shake. She had the strength and will of a woman twice her age.

Serena knew her own path and no one and nothing was going to sway her. There were only a few things that brought this to the surface in her; the main of which were those she loved.

"Darien, I love you." Serena told him firmly, as serious as he was.

It was moments like this that Darien saw glimpses of the woman she'd one day be and it took his breath away. She was bordering on a force of nature now, what would she be like with a grown woman's strength and confidence?

"And I want you because _I want you_." Serena went on. "I want to share this special moment in my life with you. I know you're concerned about our age difference but when you're in love does age really matter so much? Do you doubt how much I love you? Or do you doubt my resolve in my choice? This is what I want."

Her words were a challenge, a dare, to him to question her love for him, her tone was one of a woman who would not be moved. It was impossible to doubt her sincerity or commitment to her decision.

And then, before his eyes Darien saw the doubt of a teenage girl slip back into her eyes.

How was it that she could slip so easily from a strong steadfast force to a vulnerable teenage girl so fast?

"Why? Don't you want me?" She asked him, so completely vulnerable that it gripped Darien's heart in a vice like grip, almost causing him physical pain.

Darien's expression softened, and he cupped her beautiful face, caressing her insanely soft smooth skin with his thumb. "Of course I want you, Serena. I love you, but I need you to be sure that you're ready, that this is what you want to do because you want to do it."

Serena smiled up at him, beaming as brightly as the sun in a summer's midday sky. "You love me Darien," she said with steady assurance. "But more than that, you know me. _I want this_. Am I lying to you? Have I ever lied to you? Am I lying now?"

Darien chuckled at her childlike persistence. It fascinated him that she could be so many people at once, a teenage girl who had near crippling vulnerability and doubts, a strong steadfast woman, a free spirit, a loving friend. She could be steady and certain one moment but insecure and unsure the next and it amazed him.

Darien studied her for a long moment, amazed that this wonderful young woman had chosen him and the positive effects she had on him. She always saw the best in him but more than that, she _brought out_ the best in him. "No. You're not lying. You want me."

Darien was sure of it now. His reservations and doubts weren't gone but at least now he knew that she was doing this for the right reasons. It might not _be_ right – morally speaking – but at least Serena was sure.

Serena's smile widened, and love shone in her bright blue eyes like the sun shining on the open sea. "Always."

* * *

 **Sunday**

It was a typical Sunday, out with her family. They'd gone to the beach today. Her mother had packed a picnic lunch and they'd enjoyed the sun and the sand. They'd frolicked in the waves, played volleyball and built a huge sandcastle and done all the typical things a family did when they went to the beach for a day.

Sundays were the one day that Serena didn't see Darien, but that was okay with her – mostly. She loved her family, she loved that they were making happy family memories that she'd treasure all her life.

So much of her life now was about Darien and her future, when she was with her family it was just about them and the now.

It was nice.

It was another piece that kept her life such a happy one.

Honestly, she had a loving family she was close too, best friends who were as sisters to her and supported her to no end and she had a boyfriend who loved and adored her.

What more could a girl ask for?

It was dark before they had made it home and even though she was exhausted from her great day, all of them were, they all found time to whip up a quick dinner and then spend the next few hours playing cards at the dining room table.

After showering, Serena fell into her bed exhausted, but she didn't fall asleep right away. Instead she reached for her cell phone.

' _Am home, safe & sound. Had great day. Hope u did 2. Have 2 sleep now. C U 2morrow?'_ And she hit send.

Less than a moment later, her cell phone vibrated on her bedside table, signally that she'd received a reply.

The reply made her smile a soft loving smile.

' _Will c u tomorrow. Sweet dreams, my precious heart.'_

Serena closed her eyes fantasising about the days when Darien could whisper the words to her instead of texting them.

Now that was the sweetest dream.

* * *

 **Keep an eye out for other updates!**


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